Winter's Storm
by Ellewyn-Fiore
Summary: At the Tokyo public library, Kagome comes across an ancient history book that reveals the outcome of the final battle with Naraku. What she finds will make her take matters into her own hands, but that doesn't come without its own secrets that Kagome must keep from the group. It's a race against time as the pack prepares for the final battle. Will they survive or die trying?
1. Chapter 1

_**Winter's Storm**_

 **Guide for Reading:**

"Spoken words"

 _'Thoughts'_

* * *

Chapter 1: The Beginning

 _This is my winter song to you_

 _The storm is coming soon_

 _It rolls in from the sea_

 _My voice a beacon in the night_

 _My words will be your light_

 _To carry you to me_

 _Is love alive?_

 _Is love alive?_

 _Is love…_

\- Winter Song by Sara Bareilles & Ingrid Michaelson

 **Modern Day Japan, November 26, 2016 Evening**

Kagome had just returned back to the modern era to collect supplies when she found her mother and grandfather unloading boxes from the storage shed outside. They were wearing their fall outerwear now, and the trees were all left bare and ready for winter.

"Mom! Gramps! I'm back," Kagome enthusiastically waved as she closed the door to the bone eater's shed and jogged over to her family. Rei Higurashi looked over to her daughter and replied with a warm smile. Kagome hugged her mother tightly. Rei returned the embrace with equal enthusiasm. "Why hello dear. How were your travels with Inuyasha?"

Stepping back from the embrace Kagome rubbed her hands together for some much needed warmth, while thinking back to the last couple of days and how Inuyasha was more on edge because of the recent night of the new moon. All she could think about was his complaining for them to stop taking so many breaks to get warmed up, and that the group was dragging their feet and falling behind. Now that it is the end of November, the temperature is starting to drop faster during the day, which makes it harder to walk when you're feeling numb in the toes.

Brushing aside these thoughts, Kagome answered with, "we found a couple more shards in the past couple of days, but it's getting colder and the nights are growing dark so we are finding that we have to call it a day earlier."

This is when Kagome's grandfather decided to peep out from the shed whilst holding some sort of dried, scaly claw. Gramps had that look on his face when he was going to start his usual tirade. "Ah Kagome, good to see you home again! I was waiting to give you this gift. You should take this with you when you go back to the feudal era. It's an ancient relic passed down from your great, great grandfather. It's known to have medicinal—"

Without having to say anything, Kagome gave her mother a look and quickly escaped her grandfather's sales pitch to drop off her things in the house.

"She's already gone, Dad. Why don't we bring the rest of the Christmas décor boxes into the house," Rei giggled at her daughter's abrupt exit. Gramps muttered something about kids being ungrateful these days. "With everything I do for her she should be over-joyed when I give her gifts from our ancestors."

"I'm sure over-joyed might be stretching it a bit, Dad," Rei picked up a box and started making her way to the front door. "It's getting cold, I'll go make some tea and dinner for us."

Things just never changed around here, but she was sure glad her daughter was back from her travels. Gramps was almost through the whole encyclopaedia of ailments to excuse her absence from school.

Inside, Kagome had already hugged Souta and was in her room changing out of her school uniform. She was growing a bit more these past few months, and realized she needed to buy some new clothes for the colder weather. She couldn't keep wearing her old middle-school uniform when it barely fit her in the chest and torso.

"Oh ya! Tomorrow is Saturday, maybe I'll call up Yuka, Eri, and Ayumi to go shopping." With a smile she grabbed her cell phone from her desk drawer and was overwhelmed to see so many messages. Her friends were not going to be thrilled that she was answering days-old messages. Yuka is going to go on a rant about her not replying in a timely fashion. Just the thought of that conversation made her exhausted.

 _'I'll never hear the end of it.'_ Kagome started unpacking her bag and dumped her clothes in the hamper for cleaning. She would have to buy a larger bag now that she had to pack warmer, and bulkier clothing. With the rips and tears this bag endured on her travels, it's surprising it was still useable.

' _I'm only supposed to stay for one night, but it won't hurt to stay an extra day_.' Kagome looked out the window and watched a bird fly away from its perch on the tree. Inuyasha told her to return as soon as she restocked her bag.

 _'Besides we had a rather good week for finding jewel shards…and it would be nice to sleep in a warm bed, and have a nice bath. We haven't even seen Naraku in a while, so things are calm now.'_

Walking into the bathroom she began to draw herself a bath. The sound of a knife chopping vigorously against the cutting board downstairs echoed upstairs. Her mom must be cutting up the vegetables for dinner. Dinner would be ready in another hour or so, and she'll get to hear all the things she missed while she was away.

It's been about two years of searching for the shards. She was in high school now and close to preparing for post-secondary enrolment. Since being in the feudal era, she has been exposed to so many life-changing events. Her training as a miko has improved substantially since the earlier days when she first met Inuyasha. Under the tutelage of Kaede, Kagome has come a long way in making antidotes and salves to treat illnesses and mild to severe wounds, which has been particularly useful to her friends while on their travels.

It made sense to her to pursue some sort of career in medicine. It would definitely take the strain off her mother from being the sole provider for the family. Gramps' senior pension covers only a small portion of the bills each month. She can't believe how much they are able to provide for her and Souta, but she is very grateful for their love and hard work. Sometimes she feels guilty for leaving to go to the feudal era so much, when she should be involved more in helping out. Especially when it comes to babysitting Souta and being more involved in his life. If only the feudal era wasn't so dangerous, she'd bring Souta along…if that were even possible for my family to travel time like me. Her mind instantly snapped to Sango and Kohaku.

 _'No. Even if it were possible, I wouldn't want to show-off my family to my friends. They lost everyone. How irresponsible and insensitive to think of it.'_ Kagome turned the bathtub taps off, peeled off her dirty clothing, and sunk into the warm, sudsy lavender-scented water.

' _Ahhhh. I missed this so much!'_ She rested against the porcelain surface of the tub as she relaxed all the muscles in her body. It wasn't long until she dozed off into dreamland.

Forty-five minutes later, Souta knocked on the bathroom door, startling her awake. "Dinner is almost ready, Sis. And hurry up! You've been in there for an hour, and I need to pee."

Kagome shook her head softly. "Jeez Souta, I need to use the washroom would have sufficed." The water was definitely cold, and her fingers were all pruney. _'Yup. Time to get out and eat.'_ When she touched her head she realized she forgot to shampoo her hair. She quickly massaged the shampoo into her hair, drained the tub, and turned the shower on to rinse out the product.

There were footsteps pacing outside the door, and when Kagome wrapped a towel around her body she opened the door to find Souta doing a pee dance. "Aha, sorry Souta. Don't you miss this when I'm not home?" Kagome stepped outside the bathroom as Souta pushed past her and swiftly shut the door.

"Ew, Kagome! You left your bra and underwear in here! I don't want to see that."

Kagome rolled her eyes while walking to her bedroom, and closing the door behind her. "Just go pee, you rushed me out."

"Next time I'll hang it on the shrine post outside so you'll always remember to take it with you," shouted Souta.

"Souta, don't tempt me. I just might make a rosary necklace for you so that you and Inuyasha can match," Kagome loudly taunted. She would never do that to her baby brother. Chanting spells was not her specialty, although Souta didn't know that little detail and sometimes he can be so annoying.

"...yea right. You're bluffing." The disbelief in Souta's voice wavered enough for Kagome to know that her teasing threat was taken seriously.

Grabbing some comfy sweats and a loose t-shirt, she walked out of her bedroom to pick up her discarded clothes in the now empty bathroom. She bundled them and popped them in her laundry basket. Rei took this opportunity to call up to her children to come down for dinner. She could see Kagome make her way towards the top of the stairs when Souta ran out from his room and sped past Kagome to the stairs. "Be careful! Hang on to the hand rail, Souta." Rei's advice didn't make it in time for Souta as he jumped down the stairs two at a time. Kagome could only guess that Souta picked up that characteristic from Inuyasha when her mom had called him down for Ramen one time.

Gramps cheered Souta on, "Thata boy! Your appetite will keep you growing. You'll be a strong priest of this shrine someday."

"Aw Gramps, maybe after I become a pro soccer player." Gramps' eye twitched when he heard this from his grand-son. "Besides, I gotta beat Cristiano Ronaldo first," Souta marched over to his plate at the table and took a seat. Kagome followed suit wondering what had Gramps sulking at his seat. ' _Oh yea, this is definitely way better than the feudal era. The smell of mom's cooking, let alone the yummy noodles and fish...'_

Kagome was drawn away from her thoughts as Souta began asking questions about Inuyasha. The silver-haired half demon, was still his usual self. Although, with Kiko still around Kagome continued to feel the burn of his two-timing tendencies. He'd be nice to her, then turn into a brute to hide his soft side before anyone notices. As soon as Kagome thought she was moving further into Inuyasha's heart, Kikyo would show up and trample her efforts. All it took was just the glimpse of her soul collectors and he'd jump away without a second to spare. She didn't know how much she could take of this cyclical problem. There was no way to remove Kikyo from the picture, but those moments she shared with Inuyasha...every time she felt like giving up, something would happen between them and she'd get sucked back into loving him. _'I promise to stay by your side.'_ It felt like ages when she said that to him. It was something she wish would be true, but if goes to hell with Kikyo. She would not follow.

After finishing dinner, Kagome helped clean the dishes and decided to go back to her room to lie down.

' _He has to choose at some point_ ,' Kagome looked up at her ceiling while hugging a plush, pink pillow to her chest. ' _Although maybe it's better to just forget about it. I know it wouldn't be me._ ' Taking in a big yawn, Kagome turned off her light and tucked herself underneath the covers. ' _I shouldn't be so caught up in this, but I love him...those soft adorable ears, and his_ _piercing amber eyes that make her heart beat quicken in pace.' W_ ith these thoughts, her eyelids began to droop. Soon she found herself sleeping soundly in the safety of her house.

* * *

 **Next Day November 27 - 10 AM**

Kagome woke up to voices in the house. She could hear her mom and brother talking animately about his upcoming indoor soccer match next weekend.

She didn't want to get up, honestly she didn't get many chances to sleep in when Inuyasha was nipping at their feet to get their butts out of bed.

Kagome looked at the clock beside her bed, and remembered what she had planned to do today. She wanted to spend time shopping with her friends. As she pushed herself up, she rubbed the sleep from her eyes and stretched her body. That bath really helped her feel less tense and stiff.

Picking up her phone she dialed Eri's number. The phone didn't get to the 4th ring, as Eri picked up and responded excitedly to the call. "Kagome! Hi!" Kagome smiled warmly at the greeting. "How are you? Do you still have that toe fungus? Your Gramps told me you wouldn't be in school this week because it was painful for you to walk!" Kagome just about fell over after Eri addressed this new piece of information her Gramps failed to mention. "We wanted to come visit, but your Gramps mentioned it was contagious and we had to wear some sort of special socks that can only be found in Switzerland..." Kagome softly slapped her forehead in disbelief.

"Oh, yeah! What a _nasty_ experience that was..." Kagome tried her best to lie. "It hurt to walk anywhere in the house. I was bedridden for days. But I'm better now.." Kagome laughed a little too much at the end. She was never the best at lying.

"Oh well, that's great to hear! So I'll see you back at school tomorrow, right?" You could hear the hopeful tone in Eri's voice, and Kagome remembered that she was supposed to be back in the feudal era soon. Whatever, she was going to enjoy her day. She doesn't get to be a normal teenager anymore. Might as well take advantage of this peaceful time while it lasted.

Kagome confirmed. "Of course. Do you, Yuka, and Ayumi want to meet at our spot before school starts?"

Eri replied, "Absolutely. We need to catch up. There have been rumours of a new kid joining the school. I'm told he's one of the famous business tycoon's sons. Not sure who he is exactly."

Kagome pondered this piece of news. "Oh, really? Tokyo is filled with suits and wealthy CEOs, I guess we shouldn't be too surprised."

Eri giggled. "Maybe we should find out more about this guy, and maybe hook him up with you...you know to get you away from your two-timer." Kagome blushed at this remark. Of course her friends would try to make her love life more challenging.

"Which by the way-" Eri was caught off abruptly, as Kagome took this time to change the subject, "You know, I actually wanted to ask you if you would like to take a trip to Lala Port with me today? We don't have any homework since the school has been on strike for the past week and a half. What do you think?"

Kagome knew Eri couldn't resist a good ol' trip to the mall. Ever since she could remember the girl was enthused about fashion and makeup. Anything to do with beauty and trends, Eri's the expert.

"I'd love to! I don't have any plans, but it sure beats staying around the house today." Kagome beamed, she would be able to get out of the house and enjoy a day out.

"Sweet! Do you want to meet at Toyasu station for 1 o'clock?" After finalizing all the details on their transportation, Kagome bid Eri a farewell for the moment and ended the call. Kagome rummaged through her closet and pulled out a pair of distressed jeans and a creamy white sweater with large horizontal army green stripes. Once dressing herself, she skipped down the stairs to grab some breakfast. ' _I have an urge to get a leisurely book from the library. All this school strike stuff is revving up my relaxing mood_. _Perhaps I'll get more than one so those long trips in the feudal era will be a bit more bearable._ '

She could see her mother through the kitchen window raking the leaves in the yard. She was lucky that her mom was forgiving and easy-going. Her constant trips back and forth wouldn't fly if her mother were more strict. She recalled a time when her mother told her the story of her childhood. It was quite appalling to learn that Rei Higurashi had left her own family home at the age of 20 to avoid an arranged marriage. She traded in a life of wealth and loneliness for a life of freedom and love. Even with the loss of her partner, she didn't regret her choice in running away all those years ago.

It was because of this, Kagome and Souta were born into her life, she didn't want to force any lifestyle or preconceived ideology on them. Their life was completely their own to lead, and she didn't want to restrict their choices because of her selfish wishes. She had to trust that they knew what was best for them. After all, she just wanted them to be happy.

When it was time to leave, Kagome grabbed a granola bar and started on her way towards the bus stop a couple blocks down from the shrine. She still had money left over from her seventeenth birthday. Her mom and gramps gave her 45000 yen for her hard work in keeping up with school even though she spent most of her time in the feudal era. She was going to put that money to good use in getting some new clothes and a sturdier backpack. Although, first things first. It was time to get some books.

Kagome reached the library in record time, it was packed with people of all ages. Tokyo's public library was one of the largest libraries in Japan. It had every genre you could think of, and even some e-readers available for rent. Public programs for children, youth, and adults, and seniors catered to many different subjects for continued learning in a social and fun environment. It was truly a community place. Hell there were even treadmills built so that you could set a book down and read while you ran. Not to mention the programmable audio books for iPods so you could hit the tracks or do circuit training in the library's gym.

Kagome went right for the adventure section on the second floor. There were bookshelves upon bookshelves scaling the length of the library on each floor. She managed to pick up The Hunger Games, and the Cursed Child. With books in hand she left the section and decided to sit up on a higher floor to read through the first couple pages of the Cursed Child.

The third floor didn't have as many people perusing the shelves, but some librarians were pushing their book carts to return books to their proper places. Flipping another page over, Kagome checked her watch. It was almost time to leave to go meet Eri at the train station. She closed the book, and stacked it on top of the other novel she picked up. As she was walking away a crash echoed a little ways down from where she stood. Kagome turned to look behind, wondering what could have caused the disturbance. A tower of books had fallen off a nearby cart wedged in between two book shelves. Kagome jogged over to the fallen stack, and didn't see anyone near. ' _It must have been stacked too high, and fell on its own..'_ Kagome, being the good person she is, stooped down to pick up the books. When she got to the last one, she paused. It was a brown, and ratty book that looked like it collected quite the dust over the years, maybe even decades. The title and author's name had chipped golden lettering, but what made her stop in her tracks was the title. 'Feudal Era Myths and Battles of the 16th Century by K. S. Takeda'

Carefully, Kagome peeled open the hard cover to reveal a title page with a loose leaf, typed letter addressed to someone called S. L. Takeda.

 _To my dearest friend,_

 _If you are reading this, there is a chance I did not survive._

 _Over the years I completed this memoir to document our endeavours._

 _Inside is the reason why I left all those years ago, I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive an old bird._

 _I dedicate my life's work to you for your knowledge, and to remember me by..._

 _Until we meet again, dear friend._

 _With love,_

 _K.T._

Flipping the page over again, there was a broad historic overview of the Sengoku period in Japan. The next page started off with a sketch of a man pinned to a tree. Kagome's eyes flew out of her head. The sketch looked just like Inuyasha, with his billowing hakamas, and long hair. His head was limp to the left side, and eyes peacefully closed. Roots of the tree were supporting the base of the Goshinboku tree in its grand weight and height. Turning another page, the book detailed the introduction of a young girl coming to the aid of the hanyou named Inuyasha.

Kagome looked up from the book and quickly shut it. She had to be seeing things now. There was no way she was reading history, and her past. Taking a deep breath she opened the book, and skipped a hundred pages forward. The title was something that made her heart jump down to her stomach. ' _Midoriko's Will'_

As Kagome read, her hand flew to her mouth. Her eyes absorbing every word the book had to offer. After the first paragraph there were lyrics from a song that she felt was oddly familiar but she couldn't place who had initially sung it. She made a mental note to ask Kaede about it later. A drawing in the corner showed the Yin and Yang symbol, and a handwritten note said, "evil cannot exist without good, and good cannot exist without evil."

On the other side of the page, there was detailed summary of Midoriko's Will and a combination of documented factual stories. Kagome began to read the first paragraph.

 **"If you have heard of the original story of Midoriko, many civilians of Sengoku believed that when you made a wish upon the Shikon no Tama your wish would come true and the jewel would vanish and release Midoriko from her eternal imprisonment. Although this didn't occur in the Final Battle of 1517 when a human had the completed jewel in their possession, they made a selfish wish in trying to save humanity. The human had asked the jewel to exterminate evil demons and to disappear forever. In the aftermath of this wish, the consequences were severe to the entire world.**

 **The jewel could not rid the world of evil, as every soul that is birthed into the world has the opportunity for darkness. As a result of this natural order, the world could not survive without positive and negative energies. For instance, the idea of Yin and Yang comes to mind in keeping the world in balance. Without evil in the world, we would not know the true meaning of good and it would become obsolete in its meaning over time. It's the same in reverse.**

 **Since the Shikon no Tama had to in a sense eliminate the word "evil" from the wish, the remaining wish turned into the extermination of demons and that the jewel must disappear forever. This was known as the Great Tragedy of Edo, and later referred to as the Feudal Myth of 1517 and the Extermination of Demons. The reason the name changed was because the traces of demons had vanished, so there was no actual historical proof that demons had existed in the 1500s and prior to that era. For centuries, the story had become an old wives tale to reassure children that no monsters dwelled in this world.**

 **It has been documented that when this wish had been granted, a spiritual figure appeared before the human and cursed him for eternity to serve their punishment inside the Jewel with the infamous demon, Naraku.**

 **Midoriko had initially trapped herself and her enemy inside the jewel to wage battle for eons until the correct wish was made on the jewel. In the following excerpts, villagers who watched Midoriko fight Magatsuhi claimed that before her death, she had mouthed an incantation that was lost on human ears. No one knows what she had said, and just before she disappeared she had mouthed the words again and a bright white light exploded where she had been, and when the light dissipated, she and Magatsuhi were gone. The Chief Demon-Slayer of the village, Kotaku Taijiya, was the first to walk into the battlefield and in the place where the Great Warrior Priestess stood, lay a pink and lustrous jewel known as the Shikon no Tama.**

 **Monks and priestesses across Japan congregated in a general meeting to discuss the jewel. It was later affirmed that the jewel would be kept in Midoriko's sanctuary located in a cave outside the West fortified wall. Kodaku Taijiya, stated that Midoriko was a pleasant and peaceful priestess that trained in the art of sword fighting and spiritual reiki manipulation. There were rumours that she would leave her sanctuary at night to venture into the forest in the West. One night Kotaku Taijiya's wife, Sara followed the great priestess into the woods and discovered her sitting down cordially with the Great Dog General, Inu no Taisho. Sara speculated that it was a romantic meeting, but through a reputable source and dear friend of Midoriko and Inu no Taisho, it was later corrected that the two were merely friends and educated each other on their own species.**

 **Through these meetings, Midoriko began to establish a sense of empathy for peaceful demons, while exceptionally reserving her hatred for evil demons. Another speculation was that later she acquired a demon neko companion, but there are no sources to prove this theory yet.**

 **As for the words whispered by Midoriko before her death, Midoriko and Inu no Taisho's trusted source confirmed that she had made her last will in those final moments. The human villagers could not hear it with their restrictive hearing abilities, but this source could hear her message and he delivered it to his lordship Inu no Taisho. A will that would intertwine with the Shikon no Tama's magic. When the correct wish was made her final will would be granted simultaneously. There is a very probable chance that the human who made the incorrect wish, actually made it impossible for Midoriko's will to be granted. Which would explain why Midoriko herself would curse the human with an eternal imprisonment battling Naraku. This would mean that her actual will was to _create a new world where demons and humans could coexist harmoniously._**

 **Throughout the 1300s and 1400s, Inu no Taisho made it his duty to achieve peace throughout the lives of demons and humans alike. It was no easy task for him. Especially when humans were faced with tragedies caused by evil demons, which would then darken their perception of all demons good and bad. In Inu no Taisho's endeavours he came across a human noblewoman of a Western village named, Izayoi. The two fell in love, and had an inu hanyou child together. The child's name was Inuyasha. Inu no Taisho died shortly after the birth while battling against Izayoi's evil guardsman, Takemaru. Before Inu no Taisho perished, he had succeeded in changing the views of a majority of humans and demons in the Western lands. After his death, his eldest son, Sesshomaru, took power and bitterly reversed the work his father had accomplished."**

 **As for Inuyasha, discussed in earlier chapters of this memoir, he lived a life of loneliness after his mother passed away when he was younger. His hanyou blood neither accepted of understood by most humans and demons, caused him to harbour a self-loathing for his heritage. This mentality cultivated a rugged, brutish and resilient personality that would help him survive in this prejudiced world. One day, thanks to the human girl that released him from his eternal slumber he will learn of the reasons his parents fell in love. He would come to realize that he is the actual key to Midoriko's will.**

 **The last piece of Midoriko's will actually had more to do with her reincarnation. The reincarnation was said to be a girl of fifteen who was born with the Shikon no Tama in her body after Lady Kikyo had cremated it along with her body. It was believed that this exceptional girl was the reincarnation of Kikyo, but because Kagome (last name unknown) was never Kikyo's reincarnation, Urasue's plan to revive Lady Kikyo never fully revived the woman into a living human. Instead she remained an undead corpse composed of bone, ash and clay. Midoriko beckoned her soul to be reincarnated before she was imprisoned in the Shikon no Tama. When the jewel was in the newborn Kagome, it was said the girl was from 2014. The evidence founding this statement goes back to the 1984 discovery of a box of Japanese made crayons that were found in an old reliquary wooden box circa 1540, and later put on display in the Osaka museum as part of its permanent collection.**

 **Kagome, was a central figure in the mystery surrounding the Jewel. She was the official protector of the sacred jewel before she plunged a sacred arrow through it, and effectively breaking it into hundred of shards scattered across the expanse of feudal Japan. Kagome; although not as strong in sword fighting or reiki manipulation as her ancestor, Midoriko, was a formidable foe who worked as a team with Inuyasha, Miroku, Sango, Kirara, and Shippo. It wasn't Midoriko's intention to bring chaos back to the feudal era. She had hoped that the reincarnation process would give Kagome the ability to retain former memories of Midoriko's will. Unfortunately, this lack of information was the downfall of Midoriko's plan, and lead to hundreds of deaths as the jewel shards wrecked havoc in 1514. The reintroduction of the jewel in the feudal era was indeed in part the greatest mistake of Midoriko's will, but if it weren't for Kagome, Inuyasha would never have been able to gain the strength needed to defeat Naraku.**

 **It's unfortunate that Midoriko's will wasn't passed down directly to Kagome before she entered the feudal era the first time. So many deaths and wars would have been avoided, Naraku would not have gained so much strength, and the demon exterminator of 1517 would have never had access to the complete Shikon no Tama at the fall of Naraku.**

 ** _THE JEWEL MUST BE DESTROYED!_ " - This is the correct wish!**

Kagome fell back into the bookcase behind her. It was her fault. She never realized this, never thought that her actions had so many repercussions. It made sense why Kikyo loathed her presence in the feudal era. She truly did not belong in the era, and this proved it further for her.

' _The extermination though...I have to stop that. I need to fix my mistake, even if it costs my life_. _Or else, Shippo, Inuyasha, Kirara, Jinenji, Koga and his tribe, Sesshomaru, Myoga, Totosai, every demon will perish for no reason.'_ Checking her watch, Kagome had twenty minutes to spare to leave the library before she had to meet up with Eri for their shopping spree. She closed the future-telling history book, and piled it on top of the other two books she was carrying previously. Looking at the bookshelf category where she found the book, it was near the Japanese folk tale section of the library. She mentally noted to keep that in her memory in case she ever needed that information. Kagome quickly made her way down the library steps to the main floor to check out her books.

The library clerk behind the check-out desk took each book from her hands, scanning the more popular novels first. When the clerk noticed the last book, she pondered why it didn't have a library tag on the back cover. "Did you get this here?" The clerk asked, pushing up her glasses on her nose.

Kagome nodded, unsure why it wouldn't be from here. "I picked it off a cart on the third floor near the Japanese folk tale section."

"It doesn't have a registered barcode from this library," the librarian checked through the pages and flipped the book over from side to side. "In fact, it doesn't have a barcode from any library. If it was donated or left here, it must have been overlooked."

"Does that mean I can't borrow it?" Kagome was actually panicking now. This book was the answer to everything in the feudal era, she couldn't very well leave it here for it to be lost in the stacks or picked up by someone else.

"Well, I don't see why you wouldn't be able to unless it was left here by accident. Let me just see what the head manager says about this." The clerk left the desk, and walked away to the back door where the manager's office was located. The manager stepped out and looked very old and educated.

"Hello, my name is Mr. Takasuma, I am the managing director of this library. I see we have an abandoned book here." Mr. Takasuma took his glasses out of his pocket and brought his hand to his chin in contemplation. "I'm guessing you have a history report on the Sengoku era. Well, this book seems very old and I don't really get a lot of people interested in folk tales of the Sengoku era...I'll tell you what, you can have it for free. I can't ask anything in exchange for it since it's not registered, and if someone comes looking for it, then I will just say we didn't see anything." Kagome's eye twitched, but smiled in thanks. This man just gave it away and didn't want any trouble. Heck it's a library and community building. He's probably happy that students are using it for their homework.

"Sir, are you sure that's ok. We have a policy-" The clerk was sweating about breaking the rules so lightly.

"Tell me Nara, have you come across someone who's lost a book about Sengoku Japan in the time that you've been here. Also how many people actually check out books on that topic? Not very many." Mr. Takasuma gestured towards Kagome. "One book gone from that section isn't going to cripple us."

"No, I suppose that's true. Very well, sir." Nara looked back at Kagome and smiled sheepishly, "I've checked out the other books for you, they are due in two weeks. Would you like a receipt?"

"Yes, please. Thank you for your help and generosity." Kagome took the receipt and picked up the books from the counter. With a bow to Mr. Takasuma and Nara, she left.

 _'Well that was a stroke of luck, but now I need to rush to get to the train station._ ' Kagome looked down at her books, particularly the older one. ' _Too bad I can't dive into more of the stories._ _This is going to be on my mind all_ day.'


	2. Chapter 2

**Winter's Storm**

Chapter 2: Missing In Action

 _Car is parked, bags are packed_

 _But what kind of heart doesn't look back_

 _At the comfortable glow from the porch, the one I would still call yours_

 _All those words came undone, and now I'm not the only one_

 _Facing the ghosts that decided if the fire inside still burns_

 _All I have, all I need, he is the air I would kill to breathe_

 _Holds my love in his hands, still I'm searching for something_

\- Breathe Again by Sara Bareilles

Once Kagome spotted Eri in the crowd of commuters, she jogged to give her friend a warm hug. Eri reciprocated the hug, and just about crushed Kagome's bones with the intensity of the embrace. "It's been forever since I've seen your face! It's good we found each other, there's a train that departs soon. Let's get out of here!" Eri pulled Kagome by the hand, leading her through the crowd of people in the direction of the soon-to-be leaving train.

"Here we are," Eri and Kagome boarded the train just as soon as the conductor announced the one minute warning bell before the doors close. Looking around the girls noticed two empty seats to the right and plopped down in relief.

"So which stores would you like to go to, Eri?" Knowing Eri, she would have spent no time at all to write a list of stores they had to visit. Eri beamed when Kagome asked this, and as Kagome predicted. The fashionista pulled out a piece of paper with the list of stores in order by different categories.

"Eri! How much are you spending? You've practically listed almost all the stores there!" Kagome eyed the list and sighed in relief. No lingerie stores. She never liked going to the stores with others around. It was embarrassing to say the least.

"Well, I just want to price things out first. Make sure these stores aren't misleading me on quality. You know how it is." Kagome chuckled at Eri, usually she didn't worry about the price of things. Her parents weren't poor, and lived a life of luxury. It was nice to see Eri being practical and conscious of spending.

"Where do _you_ want to go to, Kagome?" Eri smiled at Kagome. "You get first dibs where we go since you were the one to ask me to join you on this spree."

"Oh, um thanks Eri. That's nice of you. I need to get some clothes that fit me better, and a new backpack." Kagome pondered which stores would be best to shop at with 45000 yen ($400 US). "Hm, maybe Forever 21, H&M, and Bershka."

Eri beamed. "Well Bershka is in my top three, and I wouldn't mind checking the other stores either."

When they finally arrived at Lala Port, they singled out the stores they wanted to go visit. Kagome pulled out some bodysuit tops, skinny jeans, leggings, belted jumpsuits, knit sweaters, and a fashionable fur vest that looked very warm. With Eri's fashion help, Kagome was able to find beautiful clothes for affordable prices. Kagome was even able to pick up a pair of tall, black leather boots. The backpack she found at a travel store. She had purchased a black bag made out of sturdy waterproof fabric, with large compartments, a water holster and lunch bag. The book was still on her mind, she needed to find out more information about the final battle.

Eri, like she stated previously, was pricing the clothes out. Although, she did manage to pick up quite a few pieces of clothing as well. Unknown to Kagome, Eri had scheduled a spa appointment for the two of them at a highly-reputable salon in the mall. She was lucky she knew the manager at the store to schedule a last-minute appointment. Usually you had to book well in advance to get one service, if you're fortunate enough you may just be able to get two services.

"Let's grab some food from the food court," Kagome felt the grumble of her stomach. "I'm starved."

After eating a burger with fries, and sipping on some fizzy drinks, Kagome and Eri planned their next round of shopping. It was Eri's turn to pick a store, and so she made sure to mention a store that was just a little bit past the salon they would be going to next. Kagome was curious what else Eri needed after glancing at the bags upon bags they had accumulated while shopping. She only had a little bit left of her birthday money, she would only be able to afford her transportation back home.

As if sensing the worry from her friend, Eri decidedly changed the topic. "It's too bad we can't wear our new outfits to school. I'll be buying my sixth uniform in two years. It starts losing its shape after the 30th wash, but I expected half as much."

"You're too right. The threads run in the skirt, and the sweater rips easily." Surprisingly, with how many battles Kagome has been in she still hasn't surpassed Eri's uniform purchase record. She was on the third uniform in the past two years at their high school. She doesn't know how that worked out since her uniform saw more dirt on a daily.

"Well, it's almost time for us to get going to our next stop," Eri glanced at her phone and read that it was 2:45 p.m. Their appointment was scheduled for 3 o'clock.

When they arrived, Kagome looked puzzled. As soon as Eri went straight to the front desk, she gave the receptionist her name, and shockingly, Kagome's as well.

"Eri! Can I speak with you for a second?" Kagome's financial worries resurfaced again. She definitely could not afford to splurge on this kind of luxury. Eri looked back and whispered, "it's ok, it's on me."

Kagome was floored. She couldn't let her friend spoil her, especially at this kind of salon. Suddenly the problems related to the feudal era seemed to be growing smaller in Kagome's mind. The floor was even made out of creamy marble. What was she thinking? The salon was large in its size. The front of the store was just the waiting room. There were relaxing aromas, and man-made waterfalls adorning the walls. Spanning the base of the walls was a continuous rectangular strip of a pond full of koi fish and lily pads. Really, this salon was expensive to say the least.

"Kagome, it's ok. Really. I know the manager." Eri soothed the girl's stress, but Kagome still felt awful for allowing her to treat her so lavishly with a spa.

The receptionist rose from her seat behind the desk, and requested they follow her to a white door with a golden triangular knob at the back of the spa. Eri looked back to see Kagome looking around in awe. Once the door was open, the receptionist directed them to two changing rooms where white fluffy robes and white slippers rested neatly on upholstered spa blue chairs.

"After you're both done changing, just ring this bell and a specialist will meet with you." After thanking the receptionist, Kagome turned to Eri.

"Eri, you don't have to pay for me...I don't have anything left right now to offer in return.." Eri, shook her head in protest.

"Kagome, I didn't do this to make you feel bad. Quite the opposite," Eri smiled sheepishly. "I wanted to thank you in my own way for asking me to hang out with you. It's not everyday we get to relax and treat ourselves. Before we know it, we'll be in university and who knows if we will be at the same one. This is about making memories." Kagome was shocked and so flattered that Eri would be so thoughtful.

"Besides, that two-timing jerk is going to realize what a moron he is when you see each other next. You're going to look amazing after Andre is done with your makeover. He'll forget about that other girl for good when he sees you." Kagome sweat dropped and blushed. She was about to comment, but Eri pushed the robes and slippers into Kagome's arms. "Get dressed. Let yourself be pampered, Kagome. You deserve it." With that Eri closed the curtain to her change room.

Kagome slowly closed her curtain and stripped her clothing, laying them in a neat pile where the robes were a moment before. I guess she had no choice but to stop complaining and enjoy the gift Eri was giving her. Whether Inuyasha paid attention to her after this was questionable. There wasn't much stopping him in his advances towards Kikyo. What would change if she showed up all dolled up to the feudal era of all places?

After she tied up her robe and slipped on the slippers provided, she left the change room and joined Eri at the gold tasseled bell hanging near the doorway. Eri pulled on the tassel, and was greeted with a beautiful chiming ring. The girls giggled in response and soon they were introduced to their specialist.

"Oh, welcome back Eri-chan! I see you've brought along a friend this time." A man with short, styled black hair and green eyes approached the door. He spoke with hospitality, confidence and grace. "My name is Andre, and you must be Kagome. Welcome to Takada Spa. We have a few menus of services that we offer if you'd like to look at them, let me know what you decide and I'll let our staff know so they can follow through with the preparations."

Once the menus were in hand, Eri and Kagome looked over the services the spa provided. Eri, smirked knowing exactly what she wanted done, and wrote down the numbers corresponding to the service. Kagome, on the other hand, was having a tough time figuring out what she should have done. There were so many options, and she'd hate to choose an expensive option. Who was she kidding, they were all expensive.

Eri looked at Kagome. "Pick whatever you want. Don't look at the prices."

Kagome stopped biting down on her lip, and read through each choice carefully. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to re-vamp her look. That decided it. She pencilled in the numbers for the spa treatments and returned her menu back to Andre. Andre smiled at the both of them, and left to make the arrangements.

 **...**

It must have been the evening by now. Kagome had so many services done, and after the first spa treatment she no longer felt guilty. She relaxed like Eri told her to, and the rest was amazing. She felt better than a million bucks. She even looked better than a million bucks. She was still herself, but there was an bubble of excitement that grew inside her chest when she noticed what had changed. Her hair once long, was now a shoulder length tousled long bob with a bayalage and ombre colour treatment. Her once black hair was lightened with caramel and dark brown locks that were coloured to absolute perfection. Her hair was so soft, and felt feathery to the touch. Her bangs were even groomed into the common side-bang style.

She looked more mature, there was no way Inuyasha would look at her and see Kikyo. Her face was the show stopper by far. Her caramel eyes were emphasized with a warm bronze eyeshadow and coupled with a smouldering smokey eye. Her upper eyelid was lined with black eyeliner, and long lashes elongated with black water-proof mascara. With just a little accent of shimmering white to the corner of her eyes, she looked not like anyone else, but herself. The last addition to her makeup was a light blush and a matte pink colour to her lips. She wasn't some porcelain doll, but her eyes held a different fire. One of determination in herself as a person, and as a gorgeous young lady. She was no longer lanky, after years of building muscle from battles and long journeys. Her body was toned and tanned. After getting a massage and body wrap applied in her list of treatments. She felt on top of the world. The last few additions to her look was the French pedicure and manicure, and boy did she enjoy that too.

Eri happened to get the same service as Kagome, minus the full hair service. Her hair was already short and styled the way she liked it. When the girls reunited from their time apart, Eri and Kagome complimented each other and their specialists for dolling them up.

The specialists included a group of 4 women and Andre. On specialist with blue eyes and blonde hair spoke out to the girls, "You both look fabulous! If I didn't know any better, Andre, they look like models from Couture agency." Andre's eyes lit up at the idea. After a moment of discussion, Andre walked over to the girls and told them the stylists enjoyed the whole makeover so much that they would like to recruit them into their list of models for their magazine. Kagome and Eri had stars in their eyes and enthusiastically accepted the employment offer. "Couture Modelling often comes by to see if they can borrow models for their line of products, so you never know where this may lead for you both."

"Instead of charging you for the service today, we'll include it in a up-front recruitment fee for photos and services." Andre clapped his hands together. "We can schedule that for another day. The only thing I need to ask of you is to get a co-signor. Although you are old enough to work in Japan, modelling agencies have a strict rule about hiring minors under the age of eighteen. Which means we need parental or guardian consent to continue with the applications."

Eri and Kagome smiled at each other. This just seemed too good to be true. They took the forms from Andre and linked their arms together while walking back outside to the receptionist. Andre followed behind them, obviously pleased with this outcome and having known Eri and her parents for eight years he just knew that this would likely be where the girl's future would be. As for her friend, he didn't really know her very well having only just met her today. She was very beautiful herself, and he thought to himself maybe this could benefit her in the end as well.

"We'll take payment now, but it will be re-directed to the application once you fax or courier back the signed forms." Eri and Kagome snapped out of their combined reverie and Eri reached into her purse for her credit card. She charged both services onto her card, and by the end of the transaction Andre handed the girls two envelopes full of brochures and information packets about the modelling contracts. "Feel free to contact Michue, our receptionist, if you have any questions. We look forward to contacting you both very soon."

"Thanks so much, Andre!" Both girls, now future models, chimed in unison. As they left the salon, they couldn't help but notice the glass ceiling of the mall being dark since it was past seven o'clock. They giggled having stayed out past their intended time to be home, but felt confident with their endeavour for the day. They walked outside of the mall hand in hand with their other hands supporting their numerous bags and new employment opportunity. Kagome thought of using this job opportunity to save up money for school and supporting herself. Her mind was far into the future, dreaming up the possibilities. One thing popped back into her mind again. The feudal era. She had to do something about that first. Perhaps this opportunity had to be postponed until after school.

Before Kagome and Eri travelled back to their homes separately, they made a promise to call each other the next day after they sent off their signed contracts. "Ayumi and Yuka aren't going to believe us when we break the news." Eri chuckled at the look on their faces when they find out. Kagome smiled, "We can't make them jealous or anything, Eri. I know Ayumi will take it in stride, but Yuka I don't know."

Eri seemed to agree with Kagome, "Ya, you're right. We can't keep it secret, once the popular girls find out from looking in magazines...it's only a matter of time..." Eri had a devilish look in her eye. "Hey Kagome...maybe that new student will take an interest in you."

"Oh, I don't think that would make anything easier for me." Kagome chuckled, with a light blush gracing her cheeks.

"Talk to you later, Kagome. I gotta bounce." Eri waved goodbye and went on her way to catch her bus from the Tokyo train station. Kagome waved back and headed in the direction of the bus to take her home. ' _What a day!'_ Kagome counted all the things that she was still trying to wrap her head around. It's not easy having a book tell you you're one of the worst things that happened to the feudal era. Why was she still there? Counting in her head, she went through the list of things she had learned.

 _1\. I am the reincarnation of Midoriko_

 _2\. I've caused a lot of chaos, and deaths in the feudal era...I feel so terrible, I didn't even mean to..it was an accident. I didn't know!_

 _3\. There's an inevitable world-wide extermination of demons, if I don't stop it from happening first_

 _4\. Inuyasha is the key_

 _5\. The jewel must be destroyed_

 _6\. There's an unknown human that wants to exterminate demons good and bad_

 _7\. Inuyasha's father, his legacy and Midoriko_

 _8\. Midoriko's will_

Once home, Kagome walked up the shrine steps and found that the house had its Christmas lights put up. Even the Goshinboku had projected green and red lights twinkling against its bark and branches. It was absolutely beautiful. When she got to the door, she could feel a familiar presence inside. ' _Inuyasha._ '

He was here. In her house. If he was waiting for a long time, she could only guess that she was in for some lecture about staying longer than they had originally agreed. With a deep breath, Kagome walked in and heard Souta showing Inuyasha a new game. The rustle of her bags drew her mother's attention first as she made her way into the kitchen.

"Kagome, you're home! Just in time. Inuyasha arrived only half an hour ago to pick you up." Rei took a good look at her daughter, and beamed. Before she could say anything, Inuyasha made this his moment to respond.

"Ya only to find you weren't here-" Inuyasha yelled from the living room his sentiments about the situation. "Dam what are these things called anyway, Souta?" Her brother chuckled and answered Inuyasha's question about the rupees in the brown breakable pots. "Stupid chicken! Come back! Grr."

"Kagome, you look stunning. Your hair, I love it!" Rei hugged her daughter, "Although I loved the way you looked before, something tells me you feel more comfortable. Like you yourself own this new you." Her mother had an inkling this trip would be fruitful. "And you bought clothing I see! A change of pace from the school uniform. Excellent, I was beginning to get tired of washing that uniform."

Inuyasha decided to finally see what the commotion was about. He was curious why he didn't sense Kagome right away when she arrived, but upon walking into the kitchen with his arms folded into the sleeves of his red haori, he stopped in his tracks. He pointed a finger at Kagome, and his mouth dropped in shock. Who was this girl before him? It couldn't have been Kagome. Although her scent was mingled in with different scents which he could not place, he was speechless. She was drop dead gorgeous. He's never seen a woman or demoness as beautiful as the girl before him.

Kagome blushed under his gaze and wasn't sure what to make of the finger he was pointing at her. Was he disgusted? He sure wasn't saying much. Rei looked on in amusement. She could tell by the half-demon's expression that he liked Kagome's makeover.

Inuyasha's cheeks warmed at the person in front of him that is Kagome. Her hair, her face, even her scent. No longer that fifteen year old school girl that removed the cursed arrow from his chest, Kagome stood with the grace of a young woman and with the beauty of a princess.

As if finally noticing his delayed response, he recovered by closing his eyes and looking to the side. "You look-" He couldn't bring himself to say anything in front of her mother, so he resorted to changing the subject. "Now that you're finally back, we need to get going."

Kagome frowned at this. She didn't expect him to show up this soon, and wasn't ready to leave to go back just yet. "Inuyasha, I need to pack still, and there's some business that I need to resolve before I leave. I'm staying until noon tomorrow."

"Are you crazy? You've been gone for two days, we can't just sit here while Naraku is closer to finding the remaining jewel shards. I'd rather sit and have sake with Sesshomaru than see the likes of Naraku with his dirty hands on the jewel!" Inuyasha could care less at this moment whether she was packed or not, they were leaving now. He needed her by his side in this fight for the jewel, there was no way he was going back to Kaede's village empty handed.

Kagome looked at him apologetically, but rounded up the determination she had to counter his argument. She didn't know if she should tell him about her recent find earlier that day. Would there be a line she would be crossing if he knew? She had to read more of what was in the book to find out if she should divulge anymore information out. If she had tomorrow morning and more of that night to read, she would be able to figure out if she could share the information. "Look, I know what you're saying but half a day more isn't going to kill us. I have a life here too if you haven't forgotten. When I agreed to join the hunt for the jewel shards, I didn't think it would be a two year endeavour! Not including the shards we have and the ones Naraku has...there's only Kouga's jewel shards, Kohaku's, and a mystery shard somewhere in Japan." Kagome could see Inuyasha getting angrier.

Rei made this her time to interrupt them before Inuyasha and her daughter could make another comment, and a crater in her floor.

"Perhaps, I'll go check on the laundry...Oh Kagome your dinner is keeping warm in the oven, dear." Rei could sense she wasn't needed in this conversation and gave them their privacy to discuss their disagreement.

Kagome pleaded for her mom to stay, but Rei couldn't help her with this matter.

"Kagome, I'm not asking you to choose between here or my era, but you pledged your time to help me find the jewel shards. We agreed that you were only going to be gone a day. Two days have gone by, and now you want to stay for a third. We have things to do and accomplish in order to defeat Naraku." Inuyasha uncrossed his arms, placing one on his hip just above his sword. Kagome was left with no other choice but to plead now. Stepping forward towards the hanyou, she grasped his right arm lightly.

"Inuyasha, I wish I could tell you the reasons I am staying. I really do. You're my best friend...I need you to trust me this once, okay? Trust me that staying half a day more is actually helping our cause. I don't know if I will ever be able to tell you, but have faith in knowing that I'm using resources in my era to gain an advantage on Naraku. Please, please, please just let me do this and I will return to the feudal era by noon." Inuyasha noticed the seriously glint in her eyes, it was making it more difficult on him with how pretty she looked. He sighed, ears and shoulders dropping slightly in defeat.

He turned around like he was walking past her. "Fine." Kagome was about to say more, when she heard what he had said.

"You're going to let me stay?" Kagome looked at his back, smiling softly. She had won the argument.

"Kagome...if you're not back by noon tomorrow, we are leaving without you." Inuyasha gave her a stern look, and with that he left the house and headed back to the well.

' _What a softy he can be. He tries to hide it, but everyone can see that it's all an act.'_ With Inuyasha gone, she would be able to focus on investigating the past, packing her things, and getting her mom to sign to contract.

Kagome vigorously emptied the shopping bags and cut the price tags off the garments. The library books were encircled in the garments. Once she was done going through all the garments, Kagome placed the library books on her desk and resumed folding her clothes and placing them into her new bag. She made a mental checklist of all the items she needed to pack. ' _Flashlight, batteries, ice pack, spile, tarp, thermal emergency blanket, travel pillow, lighters, notebook, jewel shards, first aid kit, shoes, sleeping gear, rope, toiletries, plastic bags, clothes, umbrella, scarf, gloves, hat, detergent, leg warmers, knife, scissors, food containers, bear spray, flares, hot packs, map, small pot and pan._ ' Kagome walked briskly out of her room to grab ziplock baggies for the dry food. ' _Rice, oatmeal, almonds and cashews, brown sugar, tea bags, granola bars, dried cranberries, noodles, chocolate, chips, virgin olive oil, and juice boxes. That should be enough for now_.'

After packing all the essentials, Kagome went to the kitchen to eat the food left in the oven. Her mother, came back from the laundry room puzzled as Inuyasha was no where in sight. "Kagome, is everything alright? Where did Inuyasha run off to?"

"He's gone back." Kagome took a bite into her favourite meal that her mother prepared. "I actually wanted to discuss something with you ever since I got back from my trip with Eri."

"I need you to do me a favour, Mama. I am completing this application for a modeling job in Tokyo, but I need you to sign it to give the company permission to take photos of me clothed, they don't do nude or lingerie modeling. Just fragrances, and designer clothing."

"Oh my, that's wonderful dear." Rei smiled and clapped her hands in excitement. "But how are you planning on juggling modeling, school, and searching for jewel shards?"

"I figured I would give it until the end of school to commit myself to finding the jewel shards. By the summer time, I need to work in order to pay for first year's tuition. The holidays are coming up, so if I can't find the remaining jewel shards this week, I can resume during the holidays." Kagome confirmed her plan with pride.

"I'm sure you will find a way to make things work, regardless. Just be careful you don't overwhelm yourself dear." With that Rei rummaged for a pen in a jar sitting on the counter top and pulled out the kitchen chair to sit down to read over the terms of the contract. After looking over the details, Rei neatly signed and dated the contract before handing it back to her daughter.

Kagome was happy, aside from the recent disagreement between Inuyasha and herself she could tell Eri that she sent off the contract to Andre.

She would send the package off to Andre first thing in the morning, and call the office so they know she was on board with the modeling opportunity. Once that was done, she'll call Eri, do some reading, and leave immediately after for the feudal era.

* * *

 **November 28, 2016 - 8 AM**

Kagome woke up early with a fresh start. She quickly took a shower, Feeling energized to get things in motion she ate breakfast and after filling her empty stomach, she grabbed the envelope with the completed signatures to take to the post office.

Zipping up her jacket, she shoved her feet into her black leather tall boots and shot off in a hurry. By 5 pm today, the mail would be sent off to Andre and everything would be finalized. When she reached the post office twenty minutes later, Kagome paid for the stamp and sent everything off. She felt good about this decision, it will definitely help her out in the long run. There was no guarantee that she would be living in the feudal era after this, especially not when Kikyo was still around. She has family here and friends, she can't just leave them behind. She also can't leave her feudal friends behind either...but when she gets there she'll make a more informed decision. First things first. She had to get the completed jewel, and destroy it.

She opened her cell phone and called the office right away. Michue answered on the third ring and Kagome introduced herself again before notifying the receptionist of the incoming package being sent to them. Michue was delighted that Kagome agreed to work with them, and asked her to book a separate appointment to come in and do a quick photo shoot for a portfolio. Kagome made sure to book it well in advance for when she was certain she would be back in the modern era.

"Perfect! Thanks so much, Kagome. We'll be in touch closer to your upcoming appointment." With a final goodbye, Kagome ended the call.

Still walking back to her house, Kagome noticed something up ahead. A cat ran out from a hidden alley, darting across the road to the other side of the street. Kagome slowed down her pace and cautiously approached walking past the alleyway. With her eyes darting into the slight darkness of the alley, she noticed a shiny item catch her eye. Looking around to see if anyone was around and watching her movements, she slowly ventured into the opening of the alleyway, and knelt down where she noticed the shiny object wedged between the alley wall and a dumpster.

Her hands moved over some sort of handle, and when she pulled back she discovered what the object was-a gun. As if being severely burned by the mere touch of the gun, she jumped back landing on her bottom. There were no firearms allowed in Japan, so to find one must have meant it was illegally smuggled into the city. A nagging feeling hit Kagome hard in the stomach. She shouldn't be in there. What if the owner of the gun purposely left it there to ambush someone like her? She would be the next victim if she didn't get out of there quick.

When she rose back to her feet to leave, she couldn't help but look at the gun again. If there were ever a time a gun would be useful, it would be in a battle. If she took it, and only used it in battle against evil, she would surely win with a shot to the opponent's head or heart. With that final thought, she rushed forward and picked up the weapon shoving it in her purse. She heard something drop from where she picked up the gun, and it nearly gave her a fright until she saw what had rolled out. Bullets. There was a large box of ammunition for the gun and it must have been propped up by something else before she removed the gun. Picking up the box of bullets, she stuffed them in her bag and dashed out of the alley way.

Her heart was beating frantically. She had sincerely hoped no one was watching her, especially if they were the owner of the hidden gun. Since she would be travelling on her own where evil and human-eating demons roamed, she would definitely need some extra protection. It would make up for her slower movements in battle.

Looking behind her every so often, Kagome made her way to a dollar store to pick up some velcro, glue, and a sewing kit. She was going to need to fashion some holsters for this weapon. With the left over money from her birthday gift, Kagome paid for the items and went on her way back home. She didn't see anyone suspicious that would be following her, but as soon as she saw a bus stop with a bus quickly approaching she took out her bus pass and hopped on to the vehicle. No one would be able to follow her now. Not when she was the only person that entered the bus at the stop.

It took ten minutes for her to get home, and by that time it was already close to 9:30 in the morning. Once inside the safety of her home, she ran up the steps two at a time, and headed straight for the well house. There was no way she was bringing a gun into her home. She was risking its discovery just by having it on the premises of the shrine. A place where it surely does not belong. She would have to hide it where her family couldn't find it, and by noon she would take it with her to the feudal era.

After calling Eri, Kagome was just about ready to leave. All she had to do was change her clothes from the school uniform to her new clothes she bought and read more of the Sengoku history book. She had put aside a separate outfit when she had packed yesterday so that she could wear it on day one of her adventure. She picked out a black jumpsuit that looked similar to the feudal era's haori and hakama pants style. The suit was styled like a halter top that was fully sewn in with the pants. The pants resembled bell bottoms in the way it slightly flared out at the ends. She layered the top portion with a grey cardigan and a dark brown fur vest. Kagome pulled out a satin black ribbon to tie around the middle section of the vest.

She re-applied the makeup she was given by the spa. Once Kagome finished, she grabbed her books on her desk, making sure to pack the Hunger Games into her backpack in a spot where she could pull it out easily. The last book she was still unsure of bringing was the history book. It was a shame this book didn't have a table of contents or index so that she could find information faster. ' _I should start from the beginning. I might miss pertinent information if I don't.'_

Taking a firm seat at her desk, she took a deep breath and flipped the book open once again. Placing her thumb against the edges of the pages, she fanned through to see if there were any noticeable pictures that would strike a memory or lead to the defeat of Naraku. Before she got to the end, a small folded square piece of parchment slid out from the bottom and landed softly on her desk.

Picking up the paper, Kagome gently opened it and found a date written inside. " **February 16, 1517 under the full moon."**

'What is this in reference to? What was so significant...wait. That's two and a half months away in feudal Japan.' Kagome eagerly searched for the spot where the piece of folded paper fell out. There was a gap that formed between two pages where the page fell out. It must have distorted the pages over time since its placement in the book. Feeling for the two warped pages, Kagome flipped to the section and found a drawing of what appeared to be a battle field littered with body parts of demons and human figures. An oversized moon crept behind a hill, and South of the hill and battlefield was a village with what looked to be shrine posts similar to the one in Kaede's village entrance. Everything was confirmed when Kagome read the name of the forest nearby. ' _Inuyasha's Forest._ '

The next page had another drawing. Instead of a wasteland of bodies, this one showed an enlarged spider web with individuals plastered to the web and unable to escape. Two lone figures stood at the bottom of the web. A girl dressed in dark blue pants and a long sleeved black shirt, aiming an arrow towards the darkened figure with tentacles coming out from their back. This must be her facing off Naraku. She could pinpoint eleven bodies trapped in the web all looking down in terror. Kagome could barely make out what the individuals were wearing but their hairstyles gave her a good idea of their identities. Going from left to right Kagome could identify the people: Kirara, Kohaku, Shippo, Sango, Miroku, Jaken, Sesshomaru, Koga, Inuyasha, Kikyo, and an unknown figure.

Kagome's heart was leaping out of her chest, she would face off against Naraku with no help from her trapped friends. How could she possibly succeed alone with a bow and arrow? Kagome hesitated before turning the page once more. She prayed that she didn't find her body amongst the corpses scattered on the ground. To Kagome's relief she only found a page of text instead of another graphic drawing.

' **The final battle was one of the nail biting moments in feudal history. Many humans and demons died fighting for their lives and the salvation of the world. The main warriors fighting were: Inuyasha, Kikyo, Kagome, Miroku, Sango, Shippo, Kirara, Lord Sesshomaru, Kouga, Jaken, and a nomadic priest named, Daisuke.**

 **Naraku fought with his rogue demon army, Saimyosho, Kagura, Kanna, and Kohaku. The battle started when the first light of the full moon shone above the apex of the hill. Three figures walked to the top of the hill overlooking an empty field of grass just beyond the tree line of the forest that lay before them. In the distance past the field was Kaede's Village standing peacefully in the gloom of the night. In the dead quiet, a hum of wasps escalated behind the four figures, along with the growls belonging to a hoard of flying demons. Hundreds of insects and demons dotted the sky, and flew towards the village. Although, before the wasps and demons could get to the village they had to pass over or fly through the forest. As they descended into the forest, the wasps started falling to the ground. Only a tenth of the flying insects passed through alive and all the demons were purified. Upon seeing this Naraku encapsulated himself in his red barrier and approached the tree line. He noticed his insects dead and immobilized on the ground. A fog of smoke hazed the forest, but it resembled the appearance of mist. It was something he had not encountered before in his battles against his enemies.**

 **The logical solution for Naraku was to fly above the poisoned forest, but as soon as he prepared to fly upwards and out of the tree line, the fog began to cluster towards him. As he tried to flee, the fog flew in pursuit and began attacking his barrier. His lackeys fell back in fear, as the fog consumed the outside of the barrier forming a large circle around it. it was a great, ball of grey and then an explosion of purple smoke flew out of either direction overwhelming the purification mist. The miasma devoured the mist and grew in area as it started killing off the forest rapidly. When the miasma took out 75% of the forest, a blast that could only belong to Tetsusaiga dissipated the miasma from fully taking out the last quarter of the forest.**

 **A maniacal laugh that only belonged to Naraku echoed and stirred the next phase of the battle.** **Naraku sped East to the spot where the Kaze no Kizu was formed, but a darkened sky grew in a maelstrom pattern. Green lightning bolts flashed down on the West, striking in a zig zag towards Naraku. Naraku evaded each attack, got hit by a sacred arrow fired from the South. Kagura, Kanna, and Kohaku were ordered to fly using Kagura's feather to attack the newcomers from the South. As predicted more attacks kept building up between West and Eastern points, effectively shielding the South from Kagura and Kanna. As Naraku kept evading the attacks, the two warriors driving the attacks crept closer to their target until all three were in the same vicinity. Once this happened there was no longer a barrier of attacks keeping Kagura and Kanna from the South. Sesshomaru held his Tokijin, flared with energy while sensing its opponent near. Inuyasha pointed Tetsusaiga at Naraku in a battle stance, ready for the next attack.**

 **Naraku jabbed about the brotherly effort to battle against him, and mocked Sesshomaru over working with his half-breed younger brother. Inuyasha snapped, and made the first move. Breaking the** **synchronization and running head-strong into the battle with Tetsusaiga raised over his shoulder. Sesshomaru glared heatedly at his half-brother. Naraku had baited him, and his stupid brother fell for his trick. Now they would be on the defence. Smirking, Naraku waited for Inuyasha to attack his barrier with the Adamant Barrage, and when he did, Naraku took the chance and projected his demonic appendages and tentacles towards the half-demon. Spearing into the air around Inuyasha, he grasped a hold of Inuyasha's torso, but his appendage was cut off before he could act. Inuyasha drove his sword left and right, up and diagonally back down. Roughly chopping through bits and pieces of Naraku. Sesshomaru took this distraction as his chance to sneak behind Naraku to deliver his Dragon Strike. Inuyasha sensing this, quickly called on his Backlash Wave to meet with the Dragon Strike in hopes that Naraku would be caught in the middle.**

 **In a grand explosion, the two techniques met with an electric intensity that collided with Naraku and his barrier. Meanwhile, south of this battle waged another fight where Miroku, Sango, Kirara, and Kouga fought against enemies, Kagura and Kanna. Kagura had given Kanna a feather to fulfill the mission in decimating the village. Before Kanna had reached the village, a pile of Saimyosho lay dead at the entrance. Again a grey haze of mist floated in the air. When Kanna held out her mirror to absorb the mist, the mist aggressively attacked her and consumed the abnormally pale incarnation. When the mist disappeared, two females, a man, and a kitsune stepped out into the open air. Kikyo, Daisuke, Kagome, and Shippo had looked at where the girl stood, only to see a pile of ash in her place. The village vacated to another location beyond the well in Inuyasha's forest keeping them safe away from Naraku's evil intentions.**

 **Daisuke and Kikyo mounted their horses, while Kagome grabbed onto to Shippo as he transformed. The quartet sped to their positions as planned. After defeating Kanna, they noticed the explosion from Inuyasha and Sesshomaru's attacks. Racing to their individual posts they waited for the right moment to attack. The explosion wasn't according to the original plan, but when it came to the Inu brothers they had their own minds and ways of improvising. So far the second phase was going well. They had spread the enemies far apart, and defeated one out of two.**

 **Sango, Kirara, Miroku, and Kouga were having a more difficult time with the resilient, Kagura. They fought in the field beyond the decimated forest. Kagura had thrown her Dance of Blades numerous times, creating enough destruction to make it hard for Sango and Miroku to fight on even ground. The sky was Kagura's territory, and it seemed she had a hidden orb of demons to unleash. In killing the last of the demons with the wind tunnel, Hiraikotsu, and Goraishi, Kagura kept making the team fight on the defence, until Kagome shot an arrow into Kagura's attacking arm. Her arm holding the fan fell to the ground with a plop, and Sango went in for the finishing blow. When suddenly Kohaku jumped from his position on the feather using his chain and scythe to block the attack. Kouga, not wanting to waste the opportunity, flexed his Goraishi and caught a sliver of Kagura's torso as she fled the scene, leaving Kohaku behind with the monk and demon slayer. Angered by her retreat, Kouga ran after the wind sorceress in the direction of Naraku.**

 **Kohaku was on the defensive blocking every swipe Sango made towards him to get him to stop running away.** **Kohaku fled back towards Naraku, but not before Kikyo grabbed him from behind and stabbed the tip of her sacred arrow into the jewel shard in his neck. Kohaku collapsed as visions of his past and present overwhelmed his mind. With the boy out cold, Sango carried his body to Kirara. Placing the boy on Kirara, Sango ordered Kirara to take Kohaku back to the villagers in the safe zone. Kirara took off without any protest, and Sango and Miroku sprinted towards to wreckage caused by Naraku, Inuyasha, and Sesshomaru.**

 **The explosion hit Naraku with full force. When the smoke from the attack cleared, Naraku was no where to be seen. Everyone that had finished their battle had arrived at the scene. No trees stood and the field was left in ruins. The village still looked beautiful as ever amongst the wreckage.**

 **With a resounding explosion a large black orb expanded into the sky covering the glow of the full moon. It was like a lunar eclipse, as the orb rose higher. A couple minutes passed, and the group was unsure what to make of the offensive orb. In the blink of an eye, the orb came crashing down with enough inertia and gravity to propel it heavily into the ground. An earthquake travelled across the hill, flattening and then shifting the plates of the earth beneath to create jagged deposits of deep trenches. The earth beneath everyone's feet split and crumbled. Hachi, came running to the rescue for Miroku and Sango as he transformed into his floating yellow self, Inuyasha jumped onto the raccoon dog scowling down at the mess. Shippo still transformed, kept Kagome safe on his pink bubble. Inuyasha glanced at everyone else, but was worried for Kikyo and Daisuke. He did not see them anywhere. Kouga had managed to stay out of trouble by** **quickly jumping to safety and avoiding falling rocks and earth. The black orb started to uncurl and a large black spider appeared. Before anyone could react the spider pulsed thrice and a large, dripping spider web formed against the skyline of toppled trees that were once behind the hill. Kagome's hair stood on end, when she looked behind her Kagura was holding an unconscious Kikyo and Daisuke as prisoners on her feather. Kagura chanted a spell and with her useable hand, she flicked her fan open to show Kagome she reunited with her dear friend.**

 **Without much of a warning, Kagura swiped her fan while flying through the air behind her wonder-struck enemies. In a grand gesture she shouted, "Wind Gust!" The gust sent everyone flying** **towards the web, and the more they fought against the wind the less control they had in getting away. The gust barrelled towards them, and pushed them unceremoniously into a sticky, white web. As soon as their bodies connected with the web, the sticky fibres trapped their bodies into a cocoon-like shape leaving only their heads, hands, and feet showing. From left to right the fighters were all trapped. Naraku took this moment to return to his humanoid form. Cackling in his triumph, he couldn't believe the outcome. As it turned out the longer one stayed in the cocoon the more they would succumb to injury as the acid in the web will slowly dissolve through skin and bones.**

 **Naraku paraded at this achievement. Kagura returned beside him with two more prisoners unconsciously lying on her feather. She repeated the same attack, plastering the bodies of the small neko demon and boy. Naraku rose from the ground, no longer needing the red barrier around himself. He floated just in front of Kohaku, his finger hooked underneath the boys chin and with an evil look at Sango he removed the shard from Kohaku's neck. Sango cried out in pain and horror, as her little brother was robbed of a second chance. Everyone had a look of shock and anger mixed in their expressions, while shouting profanities at him only made Naraku laugh more. He then went over to Kouga, and ripped out the shards in his legs. Kouga bit down a howl, so as to not give into the pain Naraku wanted to inflict on him. Naraku moved down the procession where Kikyo hung waking up from her unconsciousness. He took out the mostly completed jewel and added the three extracted jewel shards to it. He only needed two more shards.**

 **Naraku taunted her and licked her cheek asserting his power over her useless self. Inuyasha only got angrier, and Kagome had to stop Naraku before he did something to Kikyo. Kagome took this time to draw Naraku's attention away from Kikyo. As if forgetting Kagome was even there, Naraku dropped his hand from Kiko's head and drew closer to Kagome. An idea sparked in Nark's mind, and Kagome suddenly found herself falling ten feet to the ground. She fell to the side, with the cocoon taking most of the impact. Naraku sliced open the cocoon demanding Kagome stand up and fight. Demanding that she fight for the person she very much despised because of her existence stopping her from winning over Inuyasha. Kagome faltered in getting up, frozen from the taunts. Naraku laughed menacingly at how pathetic she was when she doesn't have anyone to protect her. Kagome looked back up at her friends, each one of them fearing for her safety. Most were telling her to cut them down, and to run. Kagome ignored the shouts telling her to run. She took an arrow out and moved to cut away at the web holding Inuyasha, but Naraku used one of his tentacles and slashed her back, punishing her for turning her back to him. Kagome in her struggle with the pain and to keep her balance, lost half her arrows in the tumble. Inuyasha was screaming at her to get up, not knowing what to do for the girl. Naraku slashed her again and again, until she lay bloody on the ground.**

 **Before Naraku could touch her again, Kagome rolled over to her side and started singing. Finding the strength in her words, her body glowed with the force of her determination. She stood up shakily, and brought as much spiritual energy to her hands as she could. Kagome sprinted with the last of her energy at Naraku. Coiling her arm back with enough force she swung her body into the punch. When her fist connected with Naraku's jaw he stumbled back holding his face in pain as the spiritual reiki peeled away the skin and bones of his right cheek, nose and jaw. Kagome brought her hands to his chest where she could feel the jewel. In an attempt to get Kagome away from his body, Naraku plunged his tentacles into her stomach, spearing her through the gut. He pulled back and dropped the girl's limp body to the ground. Naraku didn't realize that Kagome had already reached into his chest to grab the almost completed jewel at this point. Before he could get anywhere fast, a blur had ripped into his chest and pulled out the orb containing his heart. Crushing it within his clawed hands, the hanyou-gone full demon destroyed Naraku for good. Inuyasha stooped down and pulled Kagome in his arms. His eyes still tinted red, but his amber eyes glossed over with tears. Kagome since being tossed to the ground, no longer held the Shikon no Tama and it had rolled away on the ground. Inuyasha rocked the girl's body close to his. He could barely hear her heart beat and it was quickly drifting away in its unsteady and slowing rhythm. The girl that released him from his eternal slumber, the girl that taught him how to love himself and make lasting friendships, the girl that devoted herself to his cause...gone. He couldn't do anything.**

 **Sesshomaru walked beside his brother, swiping at death's servants from hell with his Tenseiga. He couldn't slice through them, something wasn't right. Kagome's soul flickered with a darkening colour. Sesshomaru noticed her soul was incomplete and so he could do nothing to help her. Inuyasha went** **berserk, even after Sesshomaru explained that her soul could not be brought back incomplete. Kikyo, sickened by the sight of Inuyasha holding Kagome's dying body, refused to give the soul back until Inuyasha returned to hell with her. Kagome in her last moments whispered something for Inuyasha's ears only, and it broke his composure. He knew what he had to do.**

' _I can't read this anymore. He leaves me to die and goes to hell with Kikyo. I really should have just returned to the feudal era last night.'_ Kagome cried hard, feeling the sobs wrack through her back and stomach. ' _I can't let this happen. I won't! Is this some sort of punishment for the deaths I've caused?'_


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: The Ultimate Goal**

 _It's everything you wanted_

 _It's everything you don't_

 _It's one door swinging open_

 _and one door swinging closed_

 _Some prayers find an answer_

 _Some prayers never know_

 _We're holding on and letting go_

 _\- Holding On and Letting Go by Ross Copperman_

Once Kagome gained her composure, she knew she had to leave soon or else she would be left behind. Kagome walked shakenly to the washroom to wash her face of the tears. She couldn't go downstairs looking as distraught as she appeared. Fixing up her makeup, Kagome was able to cover up her grief. There was no telling what she would do now. Inuyasha would most likely ask her what information she found that would help them in their fight against Naraku when she arrived.

She couldn't possibly tell her friends that she had died the moment before Naraku's demise. What of Midoriko's will? Would Inuyasha relinquish his dream to become a full-fledged demon after discovering he's the key to Midoriko's will? There were definitely some things that Kagome would probably have to leave out for the benefit of the cause and the success of the mission.

With one last glance at the book on her desk, she turned away with her bag in tow. There was no reason to bring that book with her. If it fell into Naraku's hands...their chance of ever defeating him would be lost forever.

' _Inuyasha must not know his true destiny before it happens. He must find it for himself, but I'll help him get there and that will be my mission. He's the key after all.'_

There were some loose ends that Kagome couldn't understand. How was she supposed to go about this new-found mission? The people that were all assembled in battle, they must have planned ahead of time. How far in advance was this planned? If the battle was only two and a half months away, what would she need to do before then? How would she ask Kouga, or even Sesshomaru to assist in the battle strategy? It just didn't seem like she had enough time to accomplish this task. This wasn't something that she could plan on her own. Who was the human who made the wish on the jewel? Out of everyone, it was her, Kikyo, Miroku, Sango, Kohaku, and a man named, Daisuke. While it couldn't have possibly been her friends, through the process of elimination the only people left to make a wish like that on the jewel is Kikyo and Daisuke.

Kagome opened the shed housing the bone eater's well. Her mind was flying over the details she had read from yesterday and today. Stopping at the top of the stairs inside the shed, she tried listing the things she could not, under any circumstance, reveal to her friends.

' _Ok, so what are the facts I cannot reveal?_

 _1\. My death_

 _2\. Inuyasha's destiny ..._

 _3\. Kohaku's death'_

"I'll have to change the past so that Kohaku and I don't die." With this in mind, Kagome reached for the hidden gun and the box of bullets she tucked away on the shelf. She was relieved to find that both items were still where she had hid them yesterday. While placing her gun in her backpack, she looked to the side of the well where she noticed her bow and arrows leaning against the old wooden frame.

While walking down the steps, Kagome's nerves were jumping at the thought of what she had to tell her friends. This would be no simple conversation and she had to tread carefully when questions were asked. After all, she had no book to prove what she was saying and they would have to trust her word on everything she said. They've known and trusted each other for two years, but she had to speak with conviction and not with the nervousness of some doey-eyed school girl. She had to forget about the emotional and disturbing awareness of her death. She had to believe that she could change her fate.

Her feet were planted softly on the ground with a grey, cloudy sky overhead. Climbing up the well she hoisted her bag over her shoulder, when she heard its thump on the ground she pulled herself over the lip and looked around at her surroundings. Nothing had changed, just the weather was noticeably colder now. Her short hair blew in her face as the wind swept by her. As she walked towards Kaede's village, she could see villagers outside wearing thicker kimonos and blankets over their bodies. This would be her third winter in the feudal era. It was always a rather quieter time as some species of demons actually hibernated. You just had to be careful, because unlike some animals, demons could be woken up rather quickly when there is an intruder.

Kagome walked into the village getting some odd looks cast at her. She waved at the villagers, and they seemed to recognize who she was with a lot of shock written on their faces at her changed appearance. Some men even stared at her, struck by her beauty. The wives and lovers of some of the ogling men looked at her in jealousy. ' _Andre did too good of a job_.'

When Kagome reached Kaede's door, she could hear voices inside. Before entering Kagome decided to wait before she could recognize who was presently in the hut.

"Kaede-chan, when is Kagome going to be back?" A little boy's voice had a tinge of sadness draped over the words as he spoke, "I miss her."

"I'm sure she will be returning shortly. Inuyasha can be stubborn and rash. Ye are sure ye want to stay behind while the others continue on the search?" There was the sound of water being poured into a basin. Shippo softly looked down in his lap. "Of course, it's never the same without Kagome. We keep each other safe...even though everyone does the same, it's just we have more luck with her by our sides in the fight. Inuyasha knows this too...he's just too much of a hot-head to admit it out loud." Kagome was touched when she heard the little kitsune talk about her position in the group. He was always more intuitive and compassionate than most of the human children in the villages they visited. She was sure proud of the little man he was growing up to be.

"She reminds me so much of my mama..." Kaede put a comforting hand on the little fox demon's shoulder. "Kagome is kind, brave, open-minded, fun, and protective. I think my mama would be proud of Kagome because I am in such good hands and she always makes sure I'm taken care of. I'll wait for Kagome until she returns because she would do the same for me."

Suddenly, Kagome couldn't take the distance and burst into the hut to wrap her arms around Shippo. She knew he didn't intend for her to over hear, but what he said was the sweetest thing she heard him say about her. "Shippo...thank you."

Shippo froze from the shock of the embrace. He slowly turned around and almost panicked when he didn't immediately recognize Kagome, but her scent reassured him that it was indeed his surrogate mother. Shippo returned the embrace with just as much intensity, wiping a little tear that formed in the corner of his eye. "Kagome! I've missed you, don't ever leave me again!"

"Kagome?" Kaede was bewildered with the surprising entrance. "Ye have changed, child. I almost didn't recognize ye at first."

Kagome smiled, "Hi Kaede, it's good to see you again. I suppose this new look does change my appearance substantially."

"You do look different" Shippo squinted his eyes and crawled up to Kagome's shoulder. Looking down at Kagome and then back to Kaede, he exclaimed. "I like it!" Kagome giggled at his response. Kaede chuckled as well, "Kagome, would ye like some tea?"

"Oh, that would be wonderful. Thanks, Kaede." Kagome watched as the older woman walked to the side of the hut to grab a pot full of steaming water. "Kaede, I was wondering. Would you have time to chat about something with me. I would like to talk to you about Midoriko if you don't mind." Kaede turned around and walked back to Kagome with a cup of tea in her hand.

While handing Kagome the tea, Kaede asked what Kagome would like to know about the warrior priestess.

"Well, in the future there are stories about her that go along with what I was told here in this era about her legacy. I came across some information yesterday in our library that mentioned another story. The story of her will." Kagome waited for Kaede to see if this was anything new.

"Ye know of Midoriko's will? How can that be? No one knows this except Midoriko herself, she didn't pass it on before she died." Kaede studied Kagome's face. "You know more to the story..."

Kagome glanced over at Shippo, "Hey Ship, do you mind finding Inuyasha and the others for me? We all need to talk about something." Shippo pouted, obviously wanting to stay to hear the rest of the story. Kagome giggled, "I'll fill you in when you get back. Don't rush back too soon...give me some time to talk to Kaede, ok?" Nodding his head and sucking his bottom lick back in, Shippo bounded out of the hut to find the rest of the crew before they take off.

"Everyone thinks Midoriko's will is the actual Shikon Jewel. Which it is in some respect. For the most part, everyone that's heard the story seems to believe that vanquishing evil from this world for good is the definite solution. The truth is it isn't. Any spiritual being knows this much. The extermination of evil cannot be done. We are all born with the opportunity to darken our hearts. It's our actions that make the difference in whether our hearts stay true or not. Therefore, even if all evil were destroyed. Our very nature as humans and demons says different, and evil can be reborn time and time again. There's a couple lines from a song Kikyo used to reiterate back when we were at Mount Hakurei. I have a valid reason to believe that her actual will is something larger than what we've imagined, because the song was mentioned in the book...but it wasn't quite the same song. I think it went something like this:

 _Pure has become impure, impure has now become pure_

 _Good has now become bad, bad has become good_

 _To live is to die, to die is to live_

 _Saint Hakushin beneath the earth_

 _Mount Hakurei will return to Hijiri_

This was also in my textbook, but instead of it saying, 'Saint Hakushin beneath the earth,Mount Hakurei will return to Hijiri' it read,

 _Priestess Midoriko of the West_

 _Bestows the gift of unity upon us all_

"The song didn't originate from the people in the surrounding villages around Mount Hakurei, it originated earlier than that it was just remodelled slightly. This was originally Midoriko's song, it was her promise to the world."

"A promise? Isn't that something. Kagome, this book...who wrote it?" Kaede rested her cup on the floor after taking a sip. "This person would have to be as old as Midoriko herself to relay this kind of information. They would be dead by now, unless they are a demons."

"I think that's a good point. I don't think they are or were that old, but you never know. I think there were demons who are still living that relayed stories to this individual. In the beginning of the book, there was an introduction that explained how it took years to compile this information to prove what happened during the years Naraku was active, and what had led to his creation. Naturally that starts with the Jewel, and Midoriko. So there had to be some digging for information into her life."

"Aye, I see. This book, mentioned the years he was active. I can only guess that it goes on past that and dives into his demise. I believe that's why ye are here ..isn't that right, Kagome?"

Kagome looked at Kaede surprised. "Kaede, there are some things I can't reveal because you never know who is listening or how it will affect the future. I'm deeply troubled and burdened with the information. All I can say is we have very little time to defeat Naraku. He's coming to destroy us all in two and a half months. We must take precautions, and take action to defeat him. He cannot win."

Kaede's eyes were grim with the news. "Two and a half months...aye, that's not very much time. This must not spread to our enemies. We have the advantage for now, but if anyone were to learn of this.."

"Exactly." Kagome skipped to her next question, the reason she had wanted to talk to Kaede. "Kaede, what I tell you next you must promise me you won't tell or discuss it with anyone, not even to me after we're done talking."

Kaede eyed Kagome worriedly. She took a moment before responding and agreed. "I promise, child."

"I'm wondering if knowing this information is fate giving me a chance to save more lives? After learning that in this whole two years I caused so many deaths by shattering the jewel...am I worth saving? Will I be able to forgive myself after I succeeded in saving more lives or will I still be burdened by my previous mistakes?"

Kaede was floored, but felt a twinge of guilt for Kagome. "Kagome, there are many things I wish I knew or could have done when I was younger. Ye are not alone. When I had bandaged Onigumo in the cave...if I had known what he would turn into, I would have killed him on the spot. If I had known what he would have done to Inuyasha and my sister, Kikyo...I would have killed him before he had the chance to be devoured by demons. I think what ye need to do is forgive yeself first. Do what you think is right. If ye had not come back into this world, Inuyasha would still be pinned to a tree. Ye and I share a complicated story, where we could have done things differently but didn't know any better to do so. Ye and Inuyasha were meant to go on this journey, it was only natural for ye to walk down this path. Obviously, it's not a coincidence that ye came across that book. Someone is trying to help ye make the right decision."

"Aye, the guilt subsides over time, and my purpose has been to serve and protect as a priestess of this village. It has helped me get past the guilt of not being able to stop Naraku in the very beginning. I'm sure Kikyo and Inuyasha feel the same guilt as we do." Kagome felt better as Kaede tried to reason with her about her decisions. "Ye, better not dwell on these thoughts. It is better to carry on and be mindful of ye actions from this point on. Especially now that you carry a lot of important knowledge regarding the future."

"Kaede, you were too young to act on anything. Besides if it weren't for the jewel's existence there wouldn't be so much destruction by demons searching for a higher power..." Kagome put a hand to her mouth. "Oh."

"I think ye found ye answer, Kagome." Kaede added. Kagome smiled and felt some of the weight in her chest had dispersed. She could do this. She could lead a change, and forgive herself for her past mistakes. Although, first she was going to start by making sure Kaede's village was safe.

"Hypothetically...how long would it take to build a hidden village far from here?" Kaede was surprised at the sudden inquiry. "No one was in this village when it happened. There was a safe zone built further away."

Kaede shook her head, "It would take a year at best. It's winter, there's no way we would be able to build another village to accommodate that many people. We would need the power of demons to accomplish that feat."

Kagome lit up at the mention of demons. "Then we will hire demons!" She smiled at the older woman reassuringly. "Trust me, these demons will help and probably for free."

A cold air pushed through the mat covering the hut entrance, as Inuyasha stepped inside to see Kaede and Kagome deep in conversation. "Why are you hiring demons? And it's about time you got here! We are all ready to head out, then Shippo caught us and told us to come back."

Kagome held her arms and shivered slightly from the brisk wind. She looked up at the red clad figure that is Inuyasha, and her mind immediately went back to where she left off in her book. After quickly turning her face away from him, she felt a nervousness in her stomach and her palms were starting to sweat. "I'll explain everything when Sango and Miroku get here. It'll be faster for us to leave if I only have to say this once."

"Why are you acting so cryptic? You sound-" Before he could utter another word, Sango, Miroku, and Kirara made their debut with Shippo bounding in after them.

"Kagome! It's good to see you're back," Sango smiled warmly towards her friend, and then took in her appearance. "I don't know how you could get any prettier, but you did." Kagome got up to embrace the demon slayer while thanking her and returning the compliment. Kirara hopped onto Sango's shoulder to nuzzle against Kagome's head.

Miroku looked at Inuyasha only to see the hanyou's gaze fixated on the young priestess. When Inuyasha noticed Miroku caught him staring, the monk gave Inuyasha a smirk and cocked an eyebrow to suggest that he knew exactly what was going on in the hanyou's mind. Inuyasha looked away and growled in annoyance. Miroku turned to the two girls and when Kagome reached out with her fist, Miroku reciprocated and bumped his fist against hers. "Good to have you back, Kagome-chan."

"Alright let's get this over with before Inuyasha loses it," Kagome half-smiled towards the hanyou who glared at her in response to the joke.

Sango and Miroku looked at each other in confusion. Taking their outer winter-fitted blankets off their shoulders they took a seat around the fire.

...

Kagome was careful to keep the story the same, but the responses she received from her friends were a mixture of shock, anxiety, and relief. Everyone sat in a circle with a warm bowl of Kaede's famous stew in front of them.

"How reliable is this book? How do you know it states the truth?" Miroku questioned and looked at Kagome with a bit of worry.

Kagome knowingly expected this kind of question, and having already prepared for it answered quickly. "It mentioned me, my name and there were sketches of all of us in it. I didn't bring it with me in case the information inside fell into the wrong hands." Miroku nodded understanding her reasonings. "I trust you, Kagome, but what happens if this book is wrong? What would we do then after making so many preparations and gathering allies?"

"I don't think it will be wrong. It went into so much depth about our travels as if the person who wrote it was there themselves."

"We're being watched!" Shippo jumped up from his seat and peeked outside of the hut. "I'll foxfire them out of here!" Kirara hopped over to the kitsune supporting his cause but when she sensed no immediate danger she rubbed herself up against Shippo to calm him down.

"No, I think maybe it's the stories Miroku tells to the inn keepers before he performs those fake exorcisms...exciting interest in our journey, and creating avid fans as per usual." Sango spoke with a deadpan expression.

"Now, Sango. Everyone loves a good story, and we end up eating better than we normally do afterwards." Miroku argued in his own defence. Everyone rolled their eyes at his antics. "You lot, are ungrateful!"

"Anyway...so this book of the past revealed the final battle, what exactly happened? How did Naraku die?" Sango's question mirrored what everyone was thinking.

"The final battle was outside of the village on the hill. We all had a hand in his death. At the end, it was Inuyasha and I who delivered the fatal blow," Kagome treaded carefully when answering. She couldn't let them know how it truly ended, but she was still close enough to the real story. Inuyasha felt pride at the news, and that he would be the one to kill Naraku. At least he would be able to avenge Kikyo's death once and for all.

Inuyasha spoke with determination, "As long as he dies, that's all that matters." Looking at Kagome, he smirked. "So this is why you were staying longer in your era, Kagome? You should have said something I would have let you to stay longer to read the entire book."

"I wanted to make sure there was some accuracy to the book before discussing it..I didn't want to get our hopes up or spread false information." Kagome's mouth formed a small smile. She was glad everyone was at least happy with her discovery, but there was still anxiety.

"Now it all comes down to planning the strategy," Miroku placed his thumb and forefinger underneath his chin in thought. Kagome shook her head to ease his thoughts, "I believe I can help us out with that. Although I haven't found out anything about the planning or how long it took for us to have everything ready, we had a definite strategy." Kagome turned to her bag to grab a notebook so she could draw out the battle grounds.

"The other point I wanted to touch on, was the hidden village. Kaede mentioned earlier to me that it would take a year to build a village made by humans. What I suggested was that we recruit some of our demon allies to help make this process go faster. We need this to be done well before the final battle. We still need to be looking for jewel shards at this time, which means the allies in possession of jewel shards can't be involved in the construction of the hidden village...they would arouse suspicion, and create too much attention by Naraku and his incarnations."

"Who do you have in mind?" Sango asked. "The only ones I can think of are Myoga, Totosai, and Jinengi..."

"Well...I was thinking of their help, plus a certain wolf demon tribe..." Kagome fiddled with her hands in her lap expecting to hear an outburst from Inuyasha. And oh was there going to be one. Inuyasha growled at the mention of the wolf demon tribe.

"You want their help? I thought you said those with jewel shards can't help!" Kagome stared at the very prominent vein in Inuyasha's forehead. It looked like it was about to pop. Kagome scratched the back of her head and giggled nervously. "Oh well, he has a lot of demons in his tribe. I'm sure they wouldn't mind after all we are allies and we did help them with the Birds of Paradise..." Sango pulled Kagome aside while Inuyasha's glare was fixated solely on the young priestess.

"Uh, Kagome I think it best to move on to a different topic before Inuyasha has one of those aneurism-things you told us about."

Kagome sheepishly agreed. "Right!"

Clicking the top of her pen and flipping to a clean page, she began drawing the hill and the portion of the forest below it until she reached Kaede's village. While gesturing to the far left side of the page, she described that the villagers would most likely be safe in that general direction of Inuyasha's Forest where they would be re-located prior the fight. "Ok, so Naraku and his cronies..they appeared here first at the top of the hill. We had them in our sights but we were in hiding until-"

"In hiding? You gotta be joking!" Inuyasha stood up from his spot and shouted in protest. "You won't see me with my tail between my legs, that bastard will taste the wind scar before his eyes can see over the hill." Inuyasha pointed in the general direction of the hill for emphasis. Kagome shook her head in annoyance.

"Will you let me continue? I'm far from done," Kagome glared at him until he took a seat again. "As I was saying...we were waiting for our first attack to wipe out the Saimyosho and demon hoard, but it didn't get all of the wasps. The first attack is what confuses me. I'm not sure how we created a fog of purification to kill the wasps, but we did and the amount of wasps that succeeded past this were killed by the mist surrounding the village. I'm not sure where we hid, but it definitely wasn't in the forest. Inuyasha, you and Sesshomaru..." That was the straw that broke the camel's back. Inuyasha lost his composure.

"WHAT! No way am I working with that prick!" Inuyasha noticed Kagome's exasperated look. "And don't give me that look, Kagome! There's no way I'm letting you finish that sentence. There is no me and Sesshomaru. I think you better throw that book away, it's not right. You may have some silly little family reunion fantasy in your head, but that moron is more likely to skin our bodies with Tokijin than work with us. I don't know where you've been these past couple of years, but you're crazy if you think-"

"Inuyasha..." Kagome could already feel her teeth clenching together to yell her favourite subjugating command. "SIT!"

With the power of the rosary, Inuyasha was dragged down to the floor in a resounding crash. Everyone just looked on shaking their heads at the hanyou-turned pancake on the floor. Kagome closed her eyes and rubbed her temples. Miroku sighed, "he never learns."

Kagome opened her mouth to continue.

"Inuyasha and Sesshomaru kept Naraku at bay while he sent Kagura and Kanna to attack the village. Before Kagura and Kanna got to the village, Sango, Miroku, and Kouga attacked them. Kanna was able to escape via Kagura's feather and she ended dying in the same way the wasps did at the entrance of the village. This is where Kikyo, a man named Daisuke, Shippo and myself were which means we had something to do with the purification mist most likely. After the village was deemed safe our group met up with Sango's to help fight Kagura."

"Kohaku?" Sango quietly asked while Kagome paused for breath.

"I was just getting to that part. Kohaku was fighting against everyone until Kikyo caught him off his guard and purified the shard in his neck. Sango, his memories came flooding back and he was in a lot of pain remembering everything. I know it will be hard to witness that, so just be prepared to help him." Sango nodded sombrely, she only wished her brother didn't have to suffer so much anguish in his life.

"Kagura ended up fleeing back to where Naraku was still fighting Inuyasha and Sesshomaru, and this is something we can't let happen. It put us on the defence when she combined her attack with Naraku's. Naraku ended up transforming into this large spider and created a web to trap us in, and then Kagura used her wind attack to blow us on it. The web trapped us in cocoons that not even Inuyasha or Kouga could break. Sesshomaru was able to break out of his binds when he transformed and his poison worked its way over the web and allowed us all to escape. The trick is, kill Kagura and we won't have to be put in that situation." Another lie, but she had to get the attention on the kill Kagura part so that she wouldn't have to die in the end. This was actually better talking it out, she was able to think about it more clearly and work towards a better ending for everyone. Even for Kohaku.

"So we all attacked at once and were able to throw him back. When Inuyasha and I fired a joint attack, we caught him off guard and he died."

"What of the jewel?" Inuyasha interjected curiously. Kagome wasn't sure how to answer this one. She didn't think to mention the whole demon annihilation part since he was supposed to be the saviour and key to Midoriko's will. He couldn't be forced to make the decision to relinquish his dream of becoming a full fledged demon.

"Uh..I didn't get to that part yet. One step at a time, Inuyasha. First let's defeat Naraku and then we'll worry about the jewel."

"What do you mean you didn't get to that part yet? That's the whole reason we were fighting him!" Inuyasha forgetting what had happened earlier when he interrupted Kagome, didn't see the fumes coming out of her ears.

"Oh! I don't know. Maybe it's because you rushed me to get here before you left to go shard hunting without me! You have some nerve, Inuyasha! Demanding things of me left and right all the time. You're worse than a misbehaved kid."

With that Kagome grabbed her bag, and stomped out of the hut. "Oi! Kagome! Where do you think you're going?" Inuyasha shouted after her. Pushing past the entrance mat, he quipped. "Hey! You take that back, I wouldn't have to demand things of you if you didn't run home all the time. If Kikyo were here, we would have set out three days ago!" Inuyasha followed closely behind Kagome as she stormed away in a huff, but not before Kagome suddenly turned around to stop him in his tracks.

"Here we go again. Comparing me to Kikyo. Nothing I do is ever good enough for you, Inuyasha! You'll never change. Now if you'll excuse me...I have Kouga to find." This angered Inuyasha even more.

"Oh ya, run to your mangy wolf boyfriend! He won't be able to put up with you either!" The jealousy coursed through Inuyasha. Just as she arrives, she runs off to that annoying wolf, and his stinking pack.

"SIIIITTT!" Kagome tightly clenched her fists as she shouted in contempt. "I've already told you a thousand times! He's not my BOYFRIEND! If you had paid any attention at all we need to build a village and we need his pack to help." With that Kagome turned on her heel and stormed off in the direction of the Eastern Wolf Demon tribe. Shippo padded behind and when he passed the crater Inuyasha was in, he stuck out his tongue in jest at the half demon.

"Serves you right, Inuyasha." Before Shippo could get away, Inuyasha was peeling himself out of the crater and tried to grab Shippo by the tail.

"AHHH! KAGOME!" Shippo just missed Inuyasha's hand, and scurried after Kagome for protection.

Inuyasha could here the sound of footsteps and the jingling of Miroku's staff. Sango and Miroku ran past Inuyasha to quickly catch up with Kagome's retreating form along the path out of the village.

"Hey you guys can't leave me here!" Inuyasha growled at his rotten luck.

"No time to waste, Inuyasha. We got a plan to hatch, and a wolf to find." Miroku shouted over his shoulder. His friends of course take Kagome's side all the time and leave him in the dust, literally. After climbing out of the crater and dusting himself off, he began to walk from a distance behind everyone else. This day sucked already and it wasn't going to get any better once they rendezvoused with his third least favourite person in the world. 'Dammit, Kagome!'

 **An hour later**

They were walking in the same manner as they left. Sango and Miroku were wedged in the middle of two fuming individuals who couldn't see past their argument from earlier. Kagome slowed her pace down to a relaxed walk. Shippo was on her shoulder playing a game of 'I spy' with her. Inuyasha had his arms behind his head and eyes closed as he walked behind the group. It wasn't usually his thing to walk behind, but he sure wasn't the one who wanted to go to the wolf demon tribe. It was beneath him to ask for their help after all. Also, maintaining his distance from Kagome was on the top of his list.

Sango and Miroku seemed to be on edge over the fight. Inuyasha was clearly frustrated since the mentioning of the wolf demon tribe and their prospective involvement in the building of the hidden village. Kagome was only relaying information and helping with the formation of a plan, and Inuyasha couldn't handle some of the details of the plan.

"How long do you think they are going to stay mad at each other, Miroku?" Sango broke the silence by whispering her thoughts to the only other calm person in the group.

Miroku looked left at Sango, and shrugged his shoulders. "You know them. They probably won't stop fighting until one of them apologizes. I wouldn't hold our breaths, we still have to find Kouga. You know how all three of them get caught up in their bickering. We could always make a game out of this," Miroku smiled, deviously thinking about a game of wagers.

Sango watched Miroku, as his smile got wider and wider as the seconds went by. "What are you smiling at? I don't like that look on your face."

"Sango, I bet they won't stop fighting until tomorrow early afternoon." Miroku placed his bet on the table and waited for Sango to respond.

"You're seriously betting on our friends? Miroku that's low, even for you." Sango crossed her arms and closed her eyes. Kirara mewed in agreement.

"Well then, let's make it more interesting. Sango, if I win you must take over finding us a place to sleep for a whole month, and if you fail you must admit defeat and say I'm the most wonderful guy you know at least twice a day."

"You're just getting back at me for that comment I made about the story-telling!" She huffed at his wager. "Tonight, late tonight."

"What?" Miroku was unsure what she was referring to about late tonight.

"They will stop fighting late tonight. When I win, you will stop touching my butt and asking women to bear your children for a month, and when you fail you must take over my early morning watch until I dismiss you and resume my normal duties."

Miroku pondered the idea of not asking women to bear his children for a month. The idea seemed too farfetched, and risky. His whole future depended on that one month, if he died in that one month then no one would carry on his legacy. He just couldn't lose to Sango. Plus all those cute women...and the feeling of touching Sango's nice, plump butt. Losing wasn't an option.

"Well?" Sango waited patiently for Miroku to confirm the stakes. She was very confident that Kagome and Inuyasha would make up tonight and she would win the bet. She had to make this worth it, after all she couldn't stand to watch Miroku ask another lady to bear his child. It was too much. I mean it was the poor women she was looking out for and that was it. ' _There wasn't any personal benefit at all...and people think I'm jealous, HA!_ ' Sango's attention averted when Miroku replied.

"You're on," Miroku was smiling and brimming with over-confidence. "May the best and closest bet win." Sango smirked inwardly, until she felt a hand on her bottom. "MIROKU!"

"Sango, I just couldn't resist! This cursed hand has a mind of its own." Miroku felt the sting of a slap on his cheek as soon as he finished talking.

"I spy with my little eye...something that is-" Shippo stopped when he heard Sango cry Miroku's name and the sound of a slap that followed after. "Red, very red."

Kagome turned her head back to see her friends. Miroku was holding his hand up to his now very red left cheek. "Miroku's cheek, ok my turn."

"I spy with my little eye, something that is blue." It was Shippo's turn to guess what Kagome had spied. He guessed the sky, but Kagome shook her head and asked him to guess again. Sango soon reached their little group to get away from the lecherous monk. "Ugh, men what's wrong with them these days?"

Kagome looped her arm with Sango's as they walked together away from the other two annoying males in the group. "Trust me in 500 years they don't change too much."

"Oh great, we've got lots to look forward to..." She joked lightly. "Hey, it would be a good idea to talk to Inuyasha don't you think? Maybe reassure him that this trip is for the village and not for what he seems to think it is for."

"Really? Oh I guess you're right. When we stop for a break I'll talk to him." Kagome was surprised that Sango brought up the tense situation between Inuyasha and herself, but Kagome had a feeling that things could get worse if she didn't try to correct it before the reunion with Kouga.

"Kagome, I give up. What's blue?" Shippo rubbed his eyes after looking tirelessly at every member of the group and their possessions. Nothing was blue that he could see.

"Miroku's beads." Kagome giggled when Shippo looked back and groaned because he didn't catch the monk's beads. They definitely were blue.

"You all need to wear more blue," Shippo countered. Miroku and Sango chuckled at the kitsune. Shippo sighed trying to change the topic from his blunder to something else. "It takes a day to get there right?"

"We won't be there before noon tomorrow," Sango replied casually. Sango hadn't heard a word from the hanyou since they left the village and was wondering if he had gone mute. "Inuyasha, you ok over there?"

"Keh." Was his only response. He didn't even open an eye to acknowledge her question. Sango formed a small smile while thinking, 'guess he's not mute.'

Although, Inuyasha was in his own little world. Thinking back to their conversation at Kaede's, he was imagining how the final battle would progress. Would it be slow or fast? What kind of attacks would he use? The best part he couldn't wait for was the moment he could shove his sword through that bastard and end it all. His life would be so much easier, with him out of the way and he could live his life in peace. He would wish upon the completed jewel to become a full-fledged demon and prove everyone wrong. No one would tease him for being weak or part human. He would feel complete once and for all.

It wasn't clear to him what he wanted to do after wishing upon the jewel. Maybe battle with Sesshomaru just so he could see the look on the demon's face when he notices he can't call him weak anymore. Maybe he would gain the power to transform into a large dog as well. Would he inherit more of his father's powers? Contemplating these details turned to an end quickly as he remembered his promise to Kikyo. He had promised to go to hell with her when she was resurrected two years ago. It seemed like a good idea at the time, he felt guilty for what happened between them.

Fifty years ago, she was supposed to live the life of an ordinary human and he was going to turn into a human for her. They would have lived out their lives without the worry of the jewel, but then Naraku happened and everything changed. He wish things could have been different for them, but something told him it happened for a reason. All those years ago he felt alone, even when he was with Kikyo. He didn't have Kagome, Miroku, Sango, Kirara or Shippo in his life. It was lonely, and his solitude was his only friend aside from Kikyo. Kikyo was also lonely too. Her stewardship over the jewel ruined her life. She wouldn't be able to marry, or have children as long as the jewel existed. She took a sacred oath, because there were no other priestess as strong as her in the country.

He remembered that day when they took a trip on a boat down the river. She tripped on the docks and fell into him, and they embraced each other. It was the first time they realized their feelings for one another and the first time they kissed. Things were different now, she was the living dead and the only thing keeping her in this world was Naraku. As long as Naraku is alive, she wouldn't be able to rest for an eternity. Something told him he didn't want to go to hell with Kikyo, and he wasn't too sure why that had changed. Leaving Kagome and the others wasn't something he was ready to do. He didn't know how, and for once he was kind of ok with that feeling.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: All We Want**

 _Say you love me to my face_

 _I need it more than your embrace_

 _Just say you want me_

 _That's all it takes_

 _Heart's getting torn_

 _from your mistakes_

 _'Cause I don't want to fall in love_

 _If you don't want to try_

 _But all that I've been thinking of_

 _Is maybe that you might_

 _\- Say You Love Me by Jessie Ware_

Kagome felt like someone was watching her. She looked behind her and noticed Inuyasha was starring at her back. Was he still mad? His gaze was deep in thought, like he was looking through her at something beyond her reckoning. She turned away with a small blush staining her cheeks. Maybe she was a bit too harsh on the guy. She said the 'sit' command a little more than she should have, but he got her so riled up that she couldn't calm herself. Before she went home she didn't use the 'sit' command too much. Only when he was being too rough with Shippo and bopping him on the head.

Kagome thought about what Sango had said earlier about talking to him. He was still walking at the back of the group, perhaps after their break to eat and rest he would be easier to approach.

 **4:30 pm in the Eastern Mountains**

Ginta and Hakkaku were sitting on a couple of rocks at the base of the mountain eating some fish that they had caught from the river. Both of them were on guard duty while day dreaming about being praised and given the honorary title of Kouga's second in command. It was peaceful and quiet at the mountains. No sightings of trespassers for a couple of weeks, and even the last trespasser wasn't too much trouble. Just some meandering humans walking around lost after making a wrong turn. They didn't have to do anything, as always since humans generally run from them at first sight. It's been years since they have sworn off eating humans. All thanks to Kagome and Kouga's first meeting.

Ayame would show up time and time again to profess her love to Kouga, only to be turned down because he had already devoted himself to Kagome. Although, it's been quite the waiting game for Kouga since Kagome hasn't accepted his proposal. Once Kagome realizes what a strong contender he is for her then she will leave Inuyasha for good and live out her days with the wolf tribe. The tribe needed someone with her talent and kindness to help lead the pack.

"Hey Ginta, look at that cloud! It looks like a fox running away from a wolf!" Hakkaku leaned back on the rock with his right hand supporting his body. He watched as Ginta squinted up at the orange tinted clouds, he searched for the clouds and when he noticed a wolf-like cloud he saw the picture clearly.

"Oh ya. Good eye, Hakkaku."

"You two are supposed to be on patrol, and here I find you two knuckleheads looking at the sunset." A familiar and commanding voice rang down from one of the cliffs on the mountain. Ginta and Hakkaku shot up to their feet and started pointing fingers at the other for causing the other to lose their sense of concentration.

Kouga was standing looking strong and superior. He no longer adorned his older style of pelts that he wore. The shoulder pelts were replaced with a light brown fur cape that covered his shoulders and hooked together with a piece of antler and a loop of fabric. A string of leather hung from his neck with five animal fangs spaced equally apart at the bottom over his chest. His grey armour remained covering his chest and torso, but he carried a satchel containing the catch of the day. His arm braces were fur lined with soft leather fabric wrapped around each forearm. Instead of a short brown fur wrap covering his lower regions, he had black ninja pants and a longer pelt that wrapped around his waist and ended above the knee. A thin leather belt supported his katana on his left hip. While his leg grieves matched the forearm braces, his feet remained wrapped with white cloth for protection as usual. What was most different about Kouga was his appearance as he no longer wore a head band. His striking azure eyes looked on fiercely to his most trusted comrades.

"What do you have to report?" Kouga asked, as he waited for both of them to respond. Ginta and Hakkaku looked again to one another as they straightened up and separated their feet in a proper stance.

"Nothing to report, Prince Kouga." Hakkaku replied immediately without wavering his eye contact with his alpha.

"Well that's if you don't count the fox and wolf clouds. It's gone now, but it looked pretty 'cool.'" Ginta tried his best to use the word Kagome had taught him from the last time they saw her. She had complimented Kouga after he had blocked an incoming attack that was directed at Kagome with his new weapon, Goraishi. Ever since she said that, Ginta tried to remember it in case he ever got in trouble. He knew how sidetracked his leader could get just with a trigger of his memory to anything Kagome related.

Before Kouga could chide Ginta for losing his concentration, he noticed the word that Kagome said to him the last time he saw her. It seemed that his thoughts were now more on the young priestess from the future than they were on his comrades. Ginta mentally sighed a breath of relief.

"It's been some time since I've seen my Kagome. How about you two get these to the cave, and get some grub. Tomorrow I am going to pay a visit to my woman." With that Kouga sped off past Ginta and Hakkaku to patrol his lands. His tribe could smell the meat being prepared for dinner, and he could see some of his guards circulate their patrols for dinner breaks. His home has been in this routine for two years in case Naraku decided to attack.

It took some time to repair the damage that Kagura caused to his kin. It was unspeakable to some, especially the widows of the deceased wolf demons who bravely lost their lives. They would always be remembered for their courage and sacrifice for their clan. Kouga would be the one to kill Kagura and Naraku if it's the last thing he does. His kinsmen need avenging, and he won't stop until they are avenged.

Kouga ran with his cyclone inducing speed, he sprang up hundreds of feet with a forceful thrust. He loved looking over the trees and rocky terrain in the direction of Kaede's village. It was growing dark in the East as the sun was setting over the West. A thin line of smoke could be seen rising over a group of distant trees. He could only assume some ningen were setting up camp far off. He wasn't concerned with ningen though, at least not the normal ones.

When he dropped back down to the ground he turned back to head over to the main cave where dinner was being served. Tomorrow he would see Kagome, and put up with the mutt trying to get in his way.

* * *

 **9 pm Inu Tachi Camp**

Their camp had already been set up and the fire was spitting its energy onto the dirt covered ground. Everyone was bundled up and close together. November wasn't getting any warmer, and Kagome knew too well that this would be one of the last nights they would be sleeping outside. Inuyasha haphazardly draped his cloth of the fire-rat haori over Kagome's head to keep her warm. Kagome felt the weight of his clothing cover her protectively.

They had just finished the food that Kagome's mom had prepared in advance before Kagome left for the feudal era. Everyone was full and felt the lull of sleep takeover as they travelled as much as they could for the day.

"Thank you, Inuyasha." She watched as he retreated to his spot in a tree above her. Kagome looked over at Sango who watched her silently from her spot nestled in the transformed Kirara's fur. Miroku sat underneath Kirara's head, resting his back against her warm chest with Shippo curled in his arms. Sango gave Kagome a reassuring look as if to tell her to stop prolonging the issue.

Kagome took a deep breath, and climbed the tree that Inuyasha sat in. He wasn't on the highest branch, but he was high up enough to create distance between himself and the group. She grabbed what she thought was a sturdy knob on the bark, but it collapsed under the pressure of her grasp. She swung her hand up to neighbouring branch and hoisted herself up. Inuyasha was on the other side of the trunk, with his back against the bark. Kagome settled to sit on the opposite side as she began to break their silence.

"Inuyasha, I know you're not ok with going to the wolf demon tribe tomorrow. I just want to let you know I'm not going there to ogle Kouga, and that there shouldn't be a reason to fight. We are there for their help to build a village. This is for the safety of the villagers and that's it. I wouldn't have suggested it if we didn't need their help, but we do. Inuyasha, learning of the final battle isn't easy. It's almost surreal that it's soon approaching. I just need you to be with me on this. We need to succeed no matter what, and part of succeeding is saving innocent lives, as many as we can during and before the battle."

There was a moment of silence that Kagome wasn't sure if she should break again, but Inuyasha's voice cut through her thoughts and she listened for what he had to say.

"Fine." Inuyasha managed to flatly respond. Kagome was going to question if that's all that was bothering him, but he began to speak again.

"Don't think this resolves anything though, Kagome. Ever since I left you at your house, you've changed. You asked me to trust you and that you would tell me what was going on, except you haven't told me anything. You became all cryptic. Like I'm supposed to read in between the lines. It doesn't work that way, and I'm beginning to think that you're hiding something from me." Kagome's heart reached out to him. ' _I so badly want you to know. I've wanted to tell you since the start, but I can't let you try and protect me in case it's you who dies. You can't die.'_

"I'm sorry that you feel that way. You don't deserve my cryptic answers, and I will keep you well informed of the things you should know from here on out." Kagome quietly thought over what was said. "I did tell you what I discovered though, I didn't break a promise. Besides, aren't you a little excited to use Tetsusaiga on Naraku to finish him off? I don't want to go too much into detail in case we're overheard. It's not safe to speak of this anymore. Anyone could be listening."

"I want to see this book. Next time I am coming with you to your era. We're going to sit down and go over what it reveals." Inuyasha admonished his final thoughts and with that he remained quiet. Kagome's heart jumped in nervousness at the idea.

"Ok." She didn't have a choice in this matter. Kagome sighed in defeat. ' _So much for speaking with conviction. Now I have to worry about him finding out what he shouldn't know.'_

Kagome started making her way down the tree, and when she reached the bottom Sango looked at her to see if everything was ok, and Kagome just gave her a shake of the head to confirm their issue is not yet over. When Kagome turned to her spot near the fire.

Sango's face went pale and she mentally cursed Inuyasha for his stubbornness. She had just lost her wager to Miroku. Miroku chuckled softly, and Sango nudged Kirara in response. Kirara looked over at Sango and then down at Miroku who was slowly waking Shippo up. Kirara opened her mouth and drooled over his head.

"Eeyuck! Kirara!" Miroku scurried away from the neko demon with Shippo still in his arms.

"Hey monk! Pipe down will ya!" Inuyasha hollered from his spot in the trees. "You're waking the forest."

Sango had her head between her knees in defeat. She couldn't believe she lost to him. ' _Damn you, Inuyasha!_ '

* * *

 **7 AM November 29, 2016**

As morning rolled in, Inuyasha was the first to wake. The vegetation was stiff with frost, but the sun was peeking out of the clouds and filtering through the branches. His silver dog ears twitched in response to the chirping of the birds and the scratching sounds of a nearby squirrel digging its claws into the grains of a tree as it diligently climbs. Peering down he could see the slow rise of his teammates' chests as they continue sleeping through the early morning ruckus of the forest. Sometimes he envied them when they couldn't hear the sounds of the forest as clearly as he could...especially in the morning. When he was a child and living on his own, he had a hard time ignoring the sounds. It would keep him up at night with the constant noise. As he grew older he began to learn how to tune things out, but it wasn't always easy having to constantly watch his back and be on guard. He didn't have to worry so much with this group because Kirara would also be on her guard and could sense danger a bit faster than he could most times.

A part of him couldn't help but stay alert, because that's what he promised to do for Kagome. To protect her at all costs. Kikyo would sometimes be able to protect herself because she had advanced miko abilities, but Kagome was still learning to use her priestess powers. She still has a long ways to go before she can prove that she can defend herself without any help. He wasn't complaining however, he enjoyed being useful to her. At first when they met, it wasn't like that, but she grew on him and they've been good friends ever since.

Inuyasha remembered their conversation last night, and he was still perturbed by the way she acted earlier that day. It wasn't like her to keep secrets, unless it had to do with Kikyo. She was usually very open, and suddenly she closed herself off to him. He was serious when he wanted to see that book that foretold the future. Maybe she was hiding something about the jewel. Would she use it for herself and deprive him of the chance to be full demon? He just had to know. ' _Kagome wouldn't do that to me...she knows how much I want that. How much I need it to be able to protect her and be accepted.'_

His eyes were trained on her now. Looking at her as he pondered if she would betray him to use the jewel for something else. A girl that looks so innocent, and beautiful. Not that he would ever tell her his thoughts, but something did change about her these last two years. It wasn't just her new look, but her heart is somewhat different. His heart grew more attached towards her over the years. The first year she would 'Sit' him like there was no tomorrow, and this year she reserved it for when he was truly being an ass. It led him to believe something between them had changed, but he couldn't understand what exactly.

They've kissed a few times, but it never led to anything else. A cluster of embarrassing moments and shocked stares. He wasn't sure what to think of those moments. He's always been confused between Kikyo and Kagome, and it would lead her to believe that he wasn't interested in her. Even Miroku chastised him for taking advantage of her feelings when he should just tell her how he feels about her. That's always been the conundrum. He doesn't know how he feels towards her...especially romantically. He was never good with understanding his emotions.

Jumping down effortlessly from his spot, he stretched his arms back to rid the stiffness in his shoulders. Kara's ears picked up the movement and soft cracks of his joints. She starred at him and then looked around at the camp, and then to Sango curled up against her side. Inuyasha began to walk off into the bushes beyond the tree line of their camp. It was time for a quick run to patrol their surroundings. They weren't far off from the Eastern Mountains and he couldn't chance trusting Kouga and his pack of scrawny wolves to weed out the evil demons in his territory.

He began his run at a quick pace, jumping from tree branch to tree branch. Inuyasha let the serene morning background fade as he sped by trying to detect any immediate danger. His ears and nose moved unconsciously trying to pick up an ominous scent or sound. He couldn't travel too far away from his camp, just enough to figure out if the coast is clear. Time slipped by and when he felt like turning back around to return to the group, he heard a whistle nearby. Curiosity getting the better of him, he aimed his attention to the direction he had heard the sound. Making sure to jump with the stealth of a burglar, he broke through into a clearing. His leap from the last branch gave him some distance as he landed close to the middle. To his left, a female wolf demon no older than ten was sitting down next to a wolf cub. ' _She must belong to Kouga's tribe, but what is a child doing so far away from their home at this hour?'_

When she noticed his presence, she jumped back. "A demon! Quick, Ruku!" The child jumped onto her companion's back, but the wolf didn't respond to her commands and collapsed under the girl's weight. Ruku whined and squirmed from underneath its owner. Upon realizing that another presence was near, Ruku started barking at the intruder.

"Ruku, we need to go now! He looks dangerous!" The girl start tugging on the cub's tail to get it to budge but the wolf ignored her and started advancing towards Inuyasha. Inuyasha watched the cub run towards him, and he could tell that it wasn't a threat, but he couldn't let the thing attack him. When the cub got close enough, Inuyasha grabbed it by the scruff of its neck and held it level with his eyes. The cub looked surprised and ducked its head after a moment of struggling to break free of the hold. When Inuyasha glared at it, and growled in his Inu tongue, the cub looked up at him and started whining to go back to its master. The demon girl gasped and started shouting at him to spare her little Ruku.

"Relax kid, I'm not gonna hurt the runt." Inuyasha released the cub close enough to the ground for it to jump down. It ran away back to the demon girl with its tail between its legs.

"Ruku! Don't ever run off at another demon like that unless we're fighting it, got that?!" The demon girl scolded her companion shakily as she thought her Ruku was going to die after only being her owner for two weeks.

"You got a lot of work ahead of you to train that mutt of yours." Inuyasha countered, still remaining a good distance away from the younger girl. Said girl, realized he was no immediate threat to her, but kept her guard.

"Who do you think you are picking on my Ruku like that?" The girl pointed her small finger at Inuyasha accusingly. "You could have hurt him!"

"Keh. Whatever, I'm out of here." Inuyasha lunged back in the direction he arrived, but a scent caught his attention and halted his movements. He turned back towards the girl and noticed a large snake demon making its way rapidly to the girl and her cub.

Inuyasha shouted at her to watch out as the snake propelled itself at her in its attempt to attack. Inuyasha dove to grab the girl and the cub out of the snake demon's path. Inuyasha managed to pull them away from harm with a sliver of room between him and the snake demon. He set the girl and her cub down behind him and told them to stay back.

"Trying to feed on children and wolf cubs, you lowly demons never cease to amaze me. Although, why you would decided to harm a wolf demon and its pet would be considered a death wish in this territory." Inuyasha folded his arms and looked down at the lowly demon

The snake demon cackled haughtily at the inu hanyou's jabs. "What's it to you half demon? You want them for yourself? You were merely playing with my food when I caught wind of _thissss delicioussss sssnack_."

"Guess you leave me no choice but to kill you." Inuyasha cracked his knuckles as his claws flexed at the opportunity to slay the evil demon.

"Why you!" The snake hissed in anger at the challenge. "After I kill you, there will be nothing in my way from eating that child and her mongrel pup." Lunging forward at an angle, the snake flew at Inuyasha with its jaw opened wide and fangs dripping of black venom.

The girl and cub watched in fear as the snake tried to attack their new-found protector. Little did they know the fight would be over very quickly as Inuyasha stood his ground and twisted his torso in preparation for his Iron Reaver attack. His claws connected with the snake's head and split the assailant in two from head to tail."Ruku! Don't ever run off at another demon like that unless we're fighting it, got that?!" The demon girl scolded her companion shakily as she thought her Ruku was going to die after only being her owner for two weeks.

"That was incredible! How did you do that?" The girl stepped out from behind Inuyasha and starred at him with respect. "You barely moved from your spot and were able to kill it in one swipe!"

"Keh. That was nothing." Inuyasha pointed a thumb nonchalantly at the remains of the snake demon. "Why are you out here all alone, kid?"

"I.." The little girl looked down and seemed to be more interested in the way she pushed dirt around with her toes. Her mother always told her not to talk to strangers or anyone that wasn't from their tribe.

"Look I don't care for the reason. You shouldn't be out here alone with a dog that can't protect you. Are you from Kouga's tribe? If you're lost you can come with my group and we'll take you back."

"I'm not lost..." The young girl was having a hard time finding the words, and even though he saved her life and Ruku's she wasn't sure if she could trust him.

"What? Your parents just let you roam out this far away from the mountains?" She looked away to the side and bit her lip as Inuyasha impatiently prodded her with questions.

"No.."

"Well then spit it out already, I haven't got all day." The little girl clutched her furs and started tearing up.

"I ran away!" Her truth spilled out and the tears flooded her cheeks. Her face was red from the confession and the emotions that stirred behind her violet eyes.

Inuyasha's gaze softened at her confession. "Well, you're not going to survive on your own and you should go back to your home before someone realizes you're gone."

"No one will notice I'm gone. All they do is pay attention to my baby brother and get mad at me for causing trouble." She dropped to her knees and patted the side of Ruku, who was licking her tears away. Inuyasha turned his back to the little girl.

"What is the happiest memory you have with your parents?" Inuyasha waited for her to answer between her sobs.

"What are you-?" She wondered what that would have to do with anything, but Inuyasha opened his mouth again and this time turning to face her.

"Just answer the question will ya!" Her head bowed down trying to avoid his eye contact, and she began to think about the happiest memory.

Inuyasha closed his eyes. He couldn't believe he was here, playing therapist. He really needed to get back to his pack so they could start out. Actually, he wasn't in a rush to get to Kouga's, so this little detour was probably his way of procrastinating as much as possible.

"My papa, he asked me to join him in taking a walk to the river to help him get some water for my Mama while she was pregnant with my brother. He told me that as a big sister, I had a big responsibility to the family and to my new little brother or sister. We turned a corner away from the mountain and there was a large patch of wild violets that had just bloomed, and he picked one up and put one in my hair. He said that no matter what I was his special little girl, and...that he loved me."

"Keh. Someone will notice you're gone." Inuyasha sat down cross-legged in front of the wolf girl. "Look, anyone that says that to their kid isn't saying that for nothing. Your parents love you, and if you're getting into mischief to get attention maybe you should actually talk to them. Take your father back to that spot and talk to him alone."

"I have to go back, but they'll probably hate me even more for leaving in the first place. No, I can't go back. They'll be very angry with me."

"Sometimes the right thing is the hardest thing to do, but the wrong thing to do is run away from your fears and to give in to your own cowardly feelings."

"Hey, I'm no coward!" The girl stood up wiping her tears away.

"Then prove it. Show me you'll go back and face your parents." Inuyasha followed the girl's actions in getting up. "I don't think Kouga would like to know that one of his tribe members ran away in the face of conflict. That's not the way of the wolf demons, and better make sure you get there before he finds out."

The girls face dropped with shame. The strange demon with the doggy ears was right. Kouga wouldn't appreciate this act of cowardice.

"Fine, but I'm not doing it for you, you got that poofy pants?" She turned her back to him and started walking back in the direction of her tribe. The wolf cub stretched from his resting spot and trotted after the violet-eyed girl.

"You coming, poofy pants? I thought you wanted me to prove it to you!" The girl was now walking away with such petulance that Inuyasha didn't know how to react. Did she just call him 'poofy pants'...twice? What is with this wolf pack and their tendency to call people names, primarily him.

"Stop calling me that, that's not my name you little wolf turd." Before the girl crossed the clearing to the tree line she looked at Inuyasha and wondered out loud.

"What is your name?" She put a hand to her hip and waited for his response now.

"Feh. It's Inuyasha." After spouting his name to the girl, he crossed his arms and walked in her direction. They began walking side by side until Inuyasha spoke up again. "Well?! Aren't you going to tell me yours, turd?"

"Oh! Sorry, my name is Reena." She gave a toothy smile with a little mini fang popping out of the corner of her mouth. They resumed their walk, and now that he was getting a proper look at Reena. She was short, but a bit taller than Shippo and had short brown hair pulled into two small pigtails at her shoulders. She wore wolf tribe clothing, with a brown fur jacket, knee-length skirt and light brown animal skin moccasins.

"I prefer calling you, poofy pants." Reena giggled, and if she had looked up at Inuyasha's face when she had said that maybe she would have taken it back. Inuyasha was massaging his temples now. How did he get himself into this mess? Now he had to leave his group to babysit this kid and take her back to her home...which unfortunately was Kouga's tribe.

"Please stop talking."

* * *

 **Inu Taichi Group 9 AM**

Everyone was awake, and alert. Inuyasha was no where to be found, and they had to leave soon to get to the Eastern Mountains. Kagome's thoughts were spiralling out of control thinking that their conversation last night had drove him to leave without them.

"Don't worry, Kagome. We'll find him. He couldn't have left too long ago. Kirara and I will fly out to see if we can spot him. I'll met you guys back here." Sango grabbed her Hiraikotsu and jumped onto the transformed Kirara. They lunged up into the air and over the tree tops. Miroku stayed behind with Kagome and Shippo to cover the ground.

"What an idiot leaving us all behind like that," Shippo huffed in annoyance while crossing his small arms.

"Sango's right. We'll find him." Miroku put a hand on Kagome's shoulder in comfort. Kagome nodded, but couldn't help but feel like there was another reason to his leaving. He couldn't have left to see Kikyo...could he? Was she somewhere in this area? Kagome opened her bag and put Inuyasha's folded hoari on top of the other items inside. Swinging the bag onto her back, she started out from their camp with Miroku and Shippo.

"Hey, Miroku! I couldn't help but notice, um..what's that grey dried gunk doing in your hair?"

Miroku touched his head in response, and growled in aggravation. "I'm never sleeping underneath Kirara's head again."

"That's Kirara's drool? Ewww.." Kagome couldn't contain her smile at the scene. That cat always looked pristine and well groomed. To think she drooled, and on someone else at that, it was too much. Her smile broke into a giggle at Miroku's expense.

"Ha ha ha, it's all funny when it happens to someone else isn't it!" Miroku sighed, and tried to work through the dried saliva coating his hair.

"I'm sorry, it's just so funny." Kagome watched as he was getting so worked up with the dried saliva he even had to take his small ponytail out.

"Here...have some water. It'll loosen the gunk." Kagome offered him her water bottle through her giggle fits.

After a wet head of hair and a tenth of water left in the bottle, Miroku finally got the offensive stuff all out.

"Ok, now we need to be serious and find Inuyasha." Kagome grabbed the water from Miroku and put it back in her bag. "Do you think he went back to Kaede's village?"

"I doubt that. For sometime now, Inuyasha goes on morning patrols to check if the coast is clear before we head out." Miroku disclosed nonchalantly.

"He does that? Really?" Kagome put a finger to her chin. "I guess I've always woken up a bit later to find him back in the tree. I never knew he did that..."

"Mhm. Well, I don't blame him. He probably doesn't need much rest, and having to wait on us is too boring. He's not the patient type." Miroku switched his staff to his other side while he flexed his hand with the kazaana.

"I guess that's true too." Kagome still couldn't shake the idea that he went off to see Kikyo. "Maybe we should go in the direction of the Eastern Mountains. Perhaps he'll meet us there when he's ready..."

"That'd probably be best, we could just be running in circles to find him and not be getting any closer. How about we look around the perimeters of the camp in case he decides to come back from his patrol. If he doesn't we'll head back to the camp to meet up with Sango." Miroku watched Kagome's face as she processed the request.

She nodded her head, and they began to walk out into the forest surrounding their camp.

After a half hour of searching, they didn't see any sign of the half demon. Shippo could feel Kagome getting more anxious by the minute that passed by and he only hoped that Inuyasha would show up so that Kagome wouldn't be so worried.

Kirara and Sango ran into the camp breathless. "We found him!"

Everyone else whipped their heads in their direction at the good news. "Well where is he? Is he ok?" Kagome ran up to the demon slayer and neko demon.

"He's fine, but he's attracted a new companion..." Sango looked just as perplexed as everyone as she said this. Kagome's thoughts instantly went to Kikyo. It had to be. She was in the final battle. Could this mean that she was joining their group early on? Did Inuyasha reveal the final battle to her?

"Who is he travelling with and where did you find him?" Miroku asked curiously, also concealing suspicions of the new companion being Kikyo.

"He's walking with a female wolf demon child and wolf cub towards the Eastern Mountains." Sango noticed the worry defuse from everyone's faces. Kagome smiled softly, relieved that he was ok...and not with Kikyo. It was only sometime before they reunited with the dead priestess...and she wasn't entirely sure she wanted her to be involved in the final battle. She hoped she would be able to figure things out before that day arrived.

"I guess we can just start heading towards the mountains then. Inuyasha will get there before we do, so prepare to peel two fighting dogs apart when we do get there." Miroku surmised what everyone else was thinking. Now that they knew where their companion was, they could hurry up and get a move on to their destination.

"I wonder what happened earlier while Inuyasha was on patrol...how did he come across that young wolf demon?" Shippo asked openly.

Sango looked over at the little kitsune. "That reminds me. We passed by a clearing on our search, and I saw the remains of what looked to be a snake demon. Maybe, there was a fight and he met her at that moment."

"I'm sure we'll find out soon enough when we catch up to him." Kagome replied, eager to find out the answers to everyone's questions.

* * *

 **Noon**

They had been walking for two and a half hours and they finally reached the valley of mountains where the wolf demon territory began. Inuyasha and Reena noticed the wolf demons stationed on different peaks of the mountains and cliffs.

"There I brought you back. Now I need to go back and meet up with my pack." Inuyasha turned on his heel, but was stopped when he felt a slight tugging on his hakamas. Reena looked up at Inuyasha with hopeful eyes.

"Thank you, Inuyasha." Inuyasha was surprised when he heard her gratitude and that she said his name and not poofy pants.

"Don't mention it...now go before Kouga finds you left." Inuyasha pulled her hand away from his hakamas and pushed her gently towards the valley.

Reena looked back at the hanyou before continuing into the valley. She will always remember the help she received from him today. Although he was a little rough around the edges, he had a good heart. "Come on, Ruku! We gotta get back and fast!"

Inuyasha was a ways off as he shook his head. Reena and Ruku were running through the valley with some of the guardsmen scratching their heads about the odd little girl and her companion. He was glad he didn't have to venture too far into that territory just yet. He had left his group with no notice of him having to leave to solve the problems of a little kid. He could only imagine he was in for a good 'sitting' from Kagome.

...

They had walked quite a bit from the clearing. It would take him another hour to rush back to the camp. Before he could think about it, the scents of his friends drifted through his nostrils and caught his attention. They had started out without him. He didn't blame them. When they saw each other in their lines of sight, Shippo was the first to react.

"Inuyasha!" Shippo shouted in greeting. "We thought we'd never catch up."

"So where did you go?" Miroku asked, already knowing the answer but wanting to hear it nonetheless.

"Keh. I was just patrolling when I cam across a young girl and her wolf companion defending themselves against a snake demon. I killed it, she said she was lost, I escorted her back home. End of story."

"How very noble of you, Inuyasha. Taking care of those who are too weak to defend themselves. However, a little warning or notice would be appreciated next time you go off without telling us where you've gone."

"Grr..I'm not some disobedient pup, monk!" Inuyasha raised his fist and shook it with contempt.

"No, he's right!" Kagome spoke up. "As much as I admire you went out to help someone else, you could have told us and we wouldn't have lost so much time in the beginning."

"You've got to be kidding me! You guys are ridiculous. I came back to find you didn't I?" Inuyasha shook his head and looked to the sky. "You know what, never mind. Let's just go and get this over and done with before we waste more time." He turned his back on everyone and walked in the direction he just came from when he dropped off Reena.

Kagome sighed and ran a hand through her side bangs. He was just impossible to work with sometimes. He didn't want to accept responsibility for the decisions and actions he made. They all had to work as a team, and this was something that they had to fix before the final battle. Everyone had to be on the same page. There wouldn't be room for error. It was at the moment Kagome could feel her stomach grumbled. They had all skipped breakfast to search for Inuyasha. Sango was standing next to Kagome when she heard the girl's stomach ache for sustenance.

"Let's stop for a bit. We all need to eat." Sango looked to Miroku and then to Inuyasha to stop. Miroku nodded his head in agreement, and even Inuyasha stopped to acknowledge that eating before they entered the wolf territory was a good idea.

"I'll go grab some wood, Kagome. Shippo can you help gather some leaves?" Sango smiled at the kit as he sprung to action gathering all the crunchy leaves he could find on the dirt path.

Kagome swung her bag off her back and onto the ground where she could rummage through for food. When she opened the zipper, she noticed the Inuyasha's red hoari inside. Pulling it out, she held it out for Inuyasha to take. "Thank you for letting me use it last night." Inuyasha nodded, and accepted his shirt back. He slipped it on over his white under shirt and tucked it in properly.

Kagome grabbed her small saucepan and pot and took out some food she had packed. It was instant rice, and some left-over chicken from the night before. This would have to tie everyone over until they got to Kouga's.

Kagome spread out a grey cooking platform for the pot and saucepan to sit on while the water boiled and chicken was cooking. She poured water from an extra water bottle she had into the pot while she waited for Sango to return with the wood and twigs.

Sango returned with the wood and twigs and plopped them down gently next to the platform Kagome set up for the food.

While Sango was busy rearranging the wood so that it would fit under the platform, Shippo made a ball from dried grass and leaves to put in the middle where the fire would start. Kagome took some of her notebook paper and crumpled it to put in-between the spaces near the thicker pieces of wood. Taking her lighter out, Kagome set the paper and kindling ablaze. After she was sure the fire wouldn't dissipate, Kagome took out cooking spray and sprayed it onto the saucepan. After she placed the pot and saucepan on the hot platform to heat, Kagome spread around the chicken in the saucepan to cook.

"Sometimes it astounds me how fast you can make a meal, Kagome-chan." Miroku smiled as he could smell the chicken heating. The pot of water was now simmering and Kagome dumped the rice in to cook.

"It'll be done soon." Kagome confirmed as everyone was itching to eat. Kagome grabbed some plastic bowls from her bag and placed them at her side. The chicken was fully heated and was removed from the makeshift stove. After the water was discarded and the rice was properly steamed, Kagome combined the chicken with the rice to serve in the bowls.

"Oh I almost forgot the chopsticks, teriyaki and hot sauce." Kagome whipped the fast-food packets of sauce out from the side pockets of her bag.

"All done!" She announced happily. Kagome took the now empty pot and pan and used it like tongs to flip the platform over to cool down in the dirt.

There were six bowls filled with the food and each bowl had a packet of chopsticks, teriyaki and hot sauce. The meal was eaten in haste to curb the hunger they felt. When everyone was finished Kagome collected the dishes and dumped them in a plastic bag to wash later.

"That hit the spot." Shippo was on his back smiling in content as he put his hands behind his head. "I could take a nap right now..."

"Thanks, Kagome!" Sango hugged Kagome and replied in thanks. Even Inuyasha thanked Kagome for the wonderful meal.

' _Too bad there isn't a river nearby to dunk these dishes in so they can cool off quicker_...' Kagome waited patiently for the items to cool off, while everyone gave their digestive systems time to process the food before they got up to resume their journey.

...

Kagome added the cooled off items into the plastic bag and folded the cooking rack into its unassembled state. She couldn't very well put them in her bag without her clothes smelling of rice and chicken. She would just have to carry the bag until she found a river where she could properly clean the dishes.

"Here Kagome, you're already carrying enough. Why don't I hold onto that bag until we find a river?" Miroku kindly offered to carry some of the weight.

"Oh, that would be great. Thanks, Miroku!" Kagome felt the immediate relief of the weight from her hand as Miroku took the bag from her.

They were all set to start out again, and it would be the last time they would stop before they got to their destination...unless they of course found a river to clean up the burdensome dishes.

Inuyasha took the lead of the group with Sango, Miroku, Shippo, Kirara, and Kagome following close by. They continued in this formation until they heard the rustling of water in the distance. "I believe we can take care of these dishes now." Miroku raised the said bag of dishes to add to his comment.

"I believe you're right." Kagome replied. She moved to grab the bag from Miroku, but Miroku held it away from her. Sango put a reassuring hand on Kagome's shoulder. "We'll wash and dry dishes, Kagome."

"Oh ok, thank you. Let me grab the soap, rag, and towel for you guys." After handing them the supplies, Kagome grabbed Shippo and Kirara from Sango's arms. The two of them were napping from the lunch they had. Shippo held a curled up Kirara as he slept, and it was the cutest thing Kagome saw Shippo do on their journey to the Eastern Mountains.

"We won't be long." Sango added, before they left through the trees to the river.

"Thanks again, you two!" Kagome shouted slightly, hoping they heard her. "That was nice of them. Don't you think, Inuyasha?"

"Yeah it was," Inuyasha looked on at the spot Sango and Miroku had exited. "We're about half an hour away from the flea-bitten wolf pack."

"Ok..." Kagome could feel the tension still between them. It wasn't likely that it would be gone anytime soon, but she had to try and at least ease the weight of their problems. "Remember what I said to you last night about us only being there for one reason? Once we reach an agreement we can leave and work on finding the remaining jewel shards."

"Feh, would you get off my case? I already know this." Inuyasha didn't look her in the eye, and instead focused on a leaf dancing with a wind on the ground in front of him.

"What's your problem?" Kagome was tired of his attitude, and didn't want to beat around the bush anymore. "You told me that you didn't like how I was being cryptic, and now that I'm trying to be more open with you, you shut me out."

"My problem is with you making decisions that concern my home without my approval. You made the decision to get Kouga's tribe to help build another village in my territory. That's what's wrong. You didn't ask me, and when I tried to protest it you said the magic word to shut me up alright. I've lived there for longer than you've been breathing, and now I have to put up with that ass of a wolf for the next month or so. On top of that, I have to keep him away from you." He was seething from the overwhelming emotions rising in him.

Shippo and Kirara had stirred awake from the raised voices bickering back and forth.

"I'm sorry, but someone has to look out for the villagers. We can't risk losing more lives because of Naraku. I understand I overstepped, and I'm sorry ok? There I said it. As for protecting me from Kouga, he's a friend and I didn't ask you to protect me from him. That's on you, and why you are jealous of him and I being friends I have no idea!"

Inuyasha was upset beyond words at her comment. "You think I don't care about them? It's been my duty to take care of and protect the village since before I met you. Now all of a sudden you think Kouga needs to take over. That's bull shit."

"No! You know what's bull shit, Inuyasha? Your dam pride. You can't swallow your pride and let someone help us. You want to do everything by yourself. Well let me ask you this. How are we going to build a village and look for the jewel shards at the same time? I don't know anyone in our group who has the ability to be in two places at once. I wasn't trying to cross a line. I was being practical, not selfish. We need demon allies who have strength in numbers to get the job done faster. Kouga is the logical person to ask. If you can't get over your hurt pride then you really aren't doing your duty to look out for the villagers." Kagome took a deep breath in to calm herself. "I'm going to get Sango and Miroku. The faster you come to accept this, the easier the next few months will be."

Inuyasha growled, and glared at her retreating form as she too disappeared in the forest to fetch Sango and Miroku. For the last two years their fights were never this long or intense, but it seemed up until her recent discovery she's been more stubborn and on edge. In demon behaviour, her attitude is everything but submissive and is challenging him as alpha. She being young and human, didn't understand this code and it was nerve wracking for him to deal with it. His demonic side was telling him to bite the side of her neck until she submitted to him, but his human side was just frustrated with the girl in general. If he wasn't serious about looking at that book she kept at home, he sure is serious about it now.

...

Meanwhile, Sango and Miroku were walking back after cleaning up their dishes from earlier. Miroku was gleaming about having won the bet and getting to hear Sango express how great he was at any moment of the day.

"You haven't won yet, they didn't officially make up." Sango could see what he was thinking in that head of his and she'd be damned if she was going to lose this to him today.

"Oh, but it's the closest bet that wins. See that automatically means that I've won." Miroku was too proud now to accept anything else but what he already knew.

"You're delusional if you think I'm calling you the best at any given moment of the day." Sango walked off in a huff past the celebrating monk.

"So after all this time of teasing me for my exorcisms in securing us a place to rest..you finally admit defeat before you've even tried. I will remember that for a long time dear, Sango." Miroku laughed at Sango's expense. She was interesting to look at when she was mad. It was the sole reason he groped her butt so much. Well...and to feel it of course.

"Stop your gloating! You haven't won yet!" Sango snapped. Just as she finished saying that, Kagome bursted through some bushes and looked quite perturbed. Shippo and Kirara were wide-eyed from the conflict that happened between Inuyasha and Kagome, and as soon as Kirara saw Sango she leaped on to her shoulder.

"Good, I found you guys. God! That Inuyasha, just doesn't understand common sense." Kagome didn't see the look of disbelief on Miroku's face as she continued ranting about Inuyasha's lack of compassion for anyone but himself.

"What's wrong with Miroku?" Kagome whispered over to Sango as she glanced over at the sullen monk. "He looks kind of dejected..."

"Oh, he just realized he forgot his favourite sutras at Kaede's." Sango quickly answered on behalf of Miroku. He had his head in his hands at the unfortunate loss of the bet. "Don't worry, he'll snap out of it."

"Ohh..k. Are you sure? He's sulking on a tree now." Kagome pointed at the monk now doing exactly what she mentioned. Sango looked back and giggled nervously. Flipping Kagome in the direction she arrived, they walked away from the monk to give him some space.

"Oh, I'll be right back. Miroku has the bag of clean dishes." Sango jogged back towards Miroku and noticed the bag was at his feet.

Sango picked up the bag, and shook her head at how much he really wanted to win the bet. "You know, you can be a real sucker sometimes."

Miroku looked at her as she was about to leave. "A sucker eh?"

"Yeah, you're making a big deal out of this and making me feel bad for you losing." Sango replied, "We both didn't win the bet so there's no reason to weep over it." Miroku nodded his head, still put out about the whole wager being void.

"It was kind of fun though...but next time we're not betting on them fighting! It's not right." Sango finished, and turned away to go back to Kagome.

"Next time?" Miroku perked up at the sound of a second chance for his wager. ' _She enjoyed our game?_ ' Miroku got up from his slouching pose against the tree and jogged to catch up to the demon slayer he admired so much. "Next time it is."

* * *

 **Eastern Mountains**

"Prince Kouga!" A wolf demon guard ran to the commanding prince with haste.

"Kato, aren't you supposed to be patrolling the outskirts of the forest?" Kouga pointed out. Kato nodded quickly, but continued to press the news he had to tell his boss.

"It's her. Your woman. She and her pack are just outside of the valley." It didn't take long for Kouga to burst into action, running full speed out of the cave and down the mountain path towards the valley. His Kagome had come to him, this was definitely a wonderful surprise. How he longed to hold her in his arms and to whisk her away from Inu-Trasha. She belonged with him, and he was adamant to make her his one day.

He heard the faint whistles and howls in the distance as his pack teased him in his haste. ' _Kagome..'_

His tornado tore up the ground with each push of his legs lunging him further and further down the valley. He could now pick up her scent off the wind. She smelled like heaven to him.

One more turn around the bend, and he could sense her presence. He could tell she was with her pack, just as his guard had mentioned. He sensed Inuyasha already getting ready for his arrival. The spike in the hanyou's aura was enough to say he was warding him off. Kouga however, and like always, ignored the half demon's wishes.

He made it past the bend, and his eyes searched for her. He scanned through everyone, and when his eyes landed on her, he was breathless. Her entire appearance had changed, and it made his heart falter. Her hair was shorter and groomed differently. Her attire was covering every inch of her, and he made a note in his head to compliment the fur clothing she was wearing. She didn't stand beside the half demon, and he noticed that little change. As soon as he finished that thought, he was right in front of her.

Her breath hitched in the back of her throat at his sudden appearance. He guessed it was a little too quick for her eyes to follow his movements. He loved surprising her like that, and enjoyed the fast pace of her pulse. Everyone was looking at him anticipating the devotion of words roll out of his mouth, smothering the girl he loved with over-affectionate tones.

Kagome was blushing at the intimacy as he embraced her. Inuyasha was hacked off at this sight. He cut in the moment and called Kouga out for touching Kagome as if he was with her.

"Oh you tagged along with Kagome like a good pup, eh mutt face?" Kouga taunted at Inuyasha for rudely interrupting his moment with Kagome.

"Like hell I was going to let her come see you unprotected." Inuyasha spit back, but realized what he had said when the wolf beamed at this piece of information.

"You wanted to see me, Kagome?" Kouga held her hands and looked down at her face to see if Inuyasha spoke the truth. "You've finally realized that you need a real man to protect you." Inuyasha was steaming mad now, he clenched his fist and made his advance to punch the wolf's lights out. Kagome gave Inuyasha a warning look, before she carefully chose her words to respond.

"Aha. Well, I only came here to visit and we," Kagome looked to Sango and Miroku. "Need to discuss something with you in regards to Naraku."

"Naraku? Straight to business huh? I like that about you, Kagome." Kouga let go of Kagome's hands to put a hand to his chin and another on his hip in thought. "Ok, well what did you want to tell me?"

Sango, Miroku, and Kagome looked at one another before Miroku piped up, "It's something that shouldn't be discussed in the open here..."

Kouga regarded the monks words. "Well, I guess we should get going to the caves to discuss this privately. I should mention though, it's pretty hectic right now. There's going to be a ceremony tonight to celebrate two of our pack members getting hitched. My pack is running around getting things prepared."

"Oh, we could wait another day-" Sango began before being cut off by an irate Inuyasha.

"Like hell we are! We're finishing this now and leaving." Inuyasha protested. Kouga narrowed his eyes at Inuyasha's comment.

"HAHA is the little Inu Trasha too scared to party with the wolves?"

"You wish, you flea-bitten wolf! I'm just trying to avoid reeking of you and your tribe. It'll take days to get rid of your rotten stench." Inuyasha countered, and Kouga was angered by this.

"I could say the same about you, dog breath!" Kouga and Inuyasha were head to head growling at each other in disgust.

Kagome approached the two to diffuse the rivalry and verbal attacks. She wedged herself between them and pushed them apart from each other. "I didn't come here to watch you two bite each other's heads off. Now if you don't mind, we have a meeting and we're wasting time before this ceremony starts." The two canine demons stopped their verbal assaults on one another and resorted to listening to the human girl.

Shippo watched on in excitement. He couldn't wait to start on his new drawing of this little episode. He just hoped Kagome brought enough paper. ' _This is going to be so good!_ '

Miroku and Sango were playing rock paper scissors to pass the time while the other three worked out their troubles.

Kouga broke his glaring contest with Inuyasha to look down at the ever beautiful Kagome he dreamed of so often. "Alright we'll all meet back at the cave. You guys remember where that is, right?" After receiving the nods of everyone's heads, Kouga smirked and dashed for Kagome to mess with Inuyasha's head. Kouga picked Kagome up bridal style and ran off to his cave.

"You come back here with, Kagome!" Inuyasha shouted with his fist raised in the air. Kagome gasped in surprise. One minute she had her feet planted on the ground and in seconds she was lifted up by two strong, tanned arms and taken away. Although this reminded her of the first encounter with Kouga when he kidnapped her, it was slightly different. This time she wasn't screaming her head off while being hauled away over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Also, he wasn't vertically climbing the steep wall of a mountain, which does make a huge difference in the enjoyment of being carried off against your will. The wind in the valley whisked her bangs out of her face and she had to squint her eyes from the offending wind as she was trying to see.

Kagome looked back at Inuyasha and her groups fading forms as Kouga sped away with the smirk still plastered on his face. She couldn't very well do anything about it unless she wanted to fall to her death down a cliff.

"Sorry Kagome, I couldn't let the mutt have you all to himself for much longer. I've missed you a lot." Kouga's apology surprised Kagome. She wasn't sure how to respond to his confession either.

"Ya, it's been awhile since we've last seen each other. How are things here with the tribe since I last spoke to you?" She felt like she had to yell in order to hear herself talk, but with his demon hearing he could easily pick up every word she said.

"It has, and everyone is doing well. There are a lot of female wolf demons in the pack that are expecting pups, which I'm glad to see my tribe is growing. We're keeping the territory under close surveillance in case that scumbag, Naraku decides to show his face here." Kouga growled at the thought of Naraku making a surprise visit in his mountains. He wasn't going to let anything slip past his attention.

"The same thing goes for us. I mean, we don't have as many people as you do, but we try to make sure we protect the village and forest as much as we can." Kagome admitted. "Say, how long did it take you to build your home?"


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: Pleasantries and Bargains**

Kouga was caught off guard by the question she asked. ' _Why would she want to know something like that_?'

He spared a glance down at her curious expression. Humouring her curiosity, Kouga decided to answer. "Our caves were built fifty years ago when the Elders bequeathed me the honorary title of Eastern Tribe Leader. It took most of our men to fulfill the task of expanding the cave. After all it was just one single cave, and after finding more caves along the perimeter of the main cliffs, we've been able to connect them to the main entrance and den. I'll have to give you the tour today so you can see what I mean."

Kagome thought about the idea of the Prince of Wolves giving her a tour of his home. 'I'm sure everyone else besides Inuyasha would like to join in and see how they built their home. It would make the decision to employ them easier for the group.'

After processing this, Kagome brightened and responded warmly, "That sounds like a great idea. We would love to see your home."

Kouga smirked, his chest puffed out in pride that she was accepting his invitation. He doesn't really give tours of his place, but he would do anything for the young miko.

"Wait, you said fifty years ago. How old are you now, Kouga?" Kagome couldn't imagine he'd be as old as Myoga, but 50 years was half her lifetime. It was a milestone and great achievement to reach fifty if you were a human in this era. Samurai's and warriors could only dream of reaching that age, most live up to their late 20s and 30s before passing away, and most likely from war.

"I'll be 176 in the spring." He responded so casually, but for Kagome it was quite the shock. She would have guessed 80, but a three-digit number was news to her. Kouga noticed the pause after he spoke. He quirked an eyebrow. Did she not know that demons lived longer life spans than that of humans? Did she even know the ages of her demon friends in her group?

Kagome snapped back to reality after realizing her inability to make a comment may have seemed rude. She took a deep breath before spilling out a retort in haste. "I-well, I would have thought...um. Wow you look good for your age! I mean not that you're old or anything. I mean to humans...it's different. We're lucky if we live past 85. For demons 175 is the new 20, right?"

Kouga was confused at this. '175 is the new 20.' He shook his head and thought about the part where she said he looked good, but for his age. He wasn't an old geezer, but then she said she didn't think he was old. This human he admired greatly was a perplexing creature.

"Uh, look at it this way. Your youngest companion is probably between fifteen to thirty years old and he probably looks to be about six to eight in human years. Demons age slower than humans do. By the way, how old did you think I was?" Kouga mused.

"Well, I didn't think you were my age. Relatively speaking. Um, I guessed mid to late 20s?" Kagome wasn't sure if he would take that as an insult or compliment.

"In human years, I am 23." Kouga surmised, but did not take her response to heart. Age, naturally, made no difference to him. "How old are you?"

"Seventeen." Kagome chuckled, "175 isn't the new 20. It basically is 20." Kouga didn't understand this, and decided to question it. "What does that mean? 20 years old for a demon would mean they are a child. Are you implying that I'm a child?"

"No no, well in my tim-village, we have a saying about people in their 30s who complain about getting older. So to make the transition from 29 to 30 more attractive people say that 30 is the new 20, to make them feel younger. It's a bit weird I guess."

"Huh, that's odd." Kouga raised an eyebrow at the idea of saying that to someone in his tribe, but it didn't seem like it was something he could use in conversation since he was still young.. "Say...so since you mentioned that whole 175 is the new 20 bit...you think I'm old. Oh Kagome, that hurts."

"What? No..I mean yes I said it, but I didn't mean to-" Kagome got flustered as she inadvertently was caught in her own verbal mistake.

"Relax. I'm just kidding. Besides, I'll get my revenge." As Kouga said this, he sprang with the extra strength of the jewel shards into the air. His legs propelled him higher and higher, whilst kicking off the sides of the mountain. Kagome shielded her face and ducked closer to Kouga as the cold mountain air nipped at her smooth skin. The sheer velocity of Kouga's pace was astounding. Kagome couldn't quite keep her eyes open with the amount of wind engulfing their forms. It didn't faze Kouga as he bounded towards the caves with his precious cargo in hand. To any other person, it was just a wind tornado travelling across the mountains, but on the inside was Kouga and Kagome.

"Kouga! Do you think you could slow down? I feel a bit disoriented with all this wind, and the jumping, and fast drops." Kagome massaged her temples to prove her point. It felt as though she was on a wild roller coaster.

"Hm?" As if just noticing her tightly shut eyes, Kouga immediately slowed his pace to allow the young girl to relax. Kagome sighed a breath of relief. She didn't know how much more she could take without getting nauseated in his arms. "Sorry, Kagome. I guess I didn't think that speed would cause you pain." Kouga dropped to a lower altitude and planted his feet on the ground of the mountain path. Not quite willing to release his hold on Kagome, but he gave in to Kagome's wishes as he gently lowered her so that her feet were on the ground. Kagome staggered a bit, but recovered shortly after she grasped the feeling of her feet being on the ground.

"It's alright now. Just maybe we could walk the rest of the way..." Kagome looked around at her surroundings. She had no idea how long they had to walk for, but she could hear the sounds of rushing water nearby. She vaguely remembered a waterfall spewing out of the mountain the last time she was here. Perhaps they were just a little ways away from the den.

"Ok. We are just about here anyway." Kouga took a bit of a lead as he walked towards the curved part of the path in front of them. Kagome noticed a wall of a mountain in front of their path, but the drastic right curve of the path suggested that there was more beyond the mountain wall.

As they turned the corner, Kagome's eyes were met with a gorgeous view of the waterfall cascading down into the river below. Beside the waterfall was a cliff, and deep into the crevice of the mountain side, was a wide opening of a cave. She remembered running out to the peak of the cliff and tossing Shippo over into the air so he could escape. She also remembered the moment she slapped Kouga in front of his tribe for calling her his woman.

Kouga glanced back at Kagome to see what made her so quiet. Her breathing was more even now that she was in control of her movements. She had a look of wonderment and contemplation in her eyes. His eyes dropped to her lips where a small smile turned up the corners of her mouth. A grin formed as he watched her take in the view of his home.

"Come on, it's time you were reacquainted with the pack." Without much notice, Kouga grabbed Kagome by the hand and lead her further along the path towards the main entrance of the den.

The spray from the waterfall tickled Kagome's face. The ground leading into the cave was moist from the spray and the air was thick with the smell of wet rock. She could feel the dampness of the ground and the cold air mix together, causing a slight chill to run up her legs. As Kouga dragged her by the hand into the entrance, Kagome could pick out a congregation of male wolf demons clad in armour and similar leather wrappings to Kouga's attire.

"The boss is back, and he brought his woman back with him too!" A gruff voice called out, as more eyes looked up to see if the wolf prince had indeed brought his betrothed back from his patrol. Kagome's cheeks heated to a blush. She wasn't his woman, but she could only imagine these demons were hard-headed to begin with and were set in their own ways. Saying anything to counter the comment just as she entered the cave would be rude. So long as Kouga didn't go on and humour their comments, she wouldn't have to correct anything. She could see all eyes on her and her hand, as it was placed within the warmth of the Wolf Demon Prince's grasp. She made a small 'eep' noise in realization and quickly removed her hand from its current resting place. Kagome looked away with a small blush spreading across her cheeks, and held her wrist awkwardly over her abdomen.

Kouga took no notice of this, as if he didn't want to pay attention to her reaction. He did flex his fingers slightly as he missed the soft skin of her fingers clutched in his own. Hesitantly he shook the feeling away while proceeding forward, and Kagome followed at his heels moving past the group of males that watched them. Kouga scanned the group of males again looking for a certain wolf demon. Once realizing this person wasn't present, he turned to Kagome and spoke, "I'm going to find Hakkaku to see how dinner preparations are going. Your friends will be here any minute, I'll be back shortly." He waited for her to nod in understanding before he left. Kagome looked around, the men were still looking at them curiously. She was nervous because the last time she was left in the den was when she was taken as a hostage. That was before Kouga confessed his attraction to her.

"Of course. I'll just wait here to greet Inuyasha and the others." Kagome confirmed. Kouga nodded, and turned his back to go in search of his right-hand man. Kagome still felt the eyes of the men watching from behind.

She awkwardly waved at them, "Don't mind me, guys. Just carry on with what you were doing before I got here." The nervous waver in her voice made her feel uneasy. She was definitely feeling like the new kid in the neighbourhood. She epitomized the concept of strange and unknown to them. Could she really gain their help in constructing a new village? Doubt clouded her mind as she realized that her friendly relationship with Kouga, may not have been the same with everyone in the room. The same gruff voice from the wolf demon that introduced their arrival earlier spoke out.

"Whatever you say, but don't go turning into a statue on us, Sister." A bit of chuckling echoed in the cave, as the men laughed at her.

Of course they could feel her nervousness of being left alone in a room full of full-fledged wolf demons. Most she didn't even recognize from her last visit.

"Don't worry we won't be eatin' ya anytime soon. Kouga has the whole tribe under a human-free diet." Kagome turned towards the voice. The voice was from a demon perched up on a ledge of the cave to the left side of her. He was a few feet up, and held his head with the support of his left hand. His green eyes lazily regarded her when she looked at him. "We haven't met, but everyone knows who you are. You're under the claim of Kouga, and that means you are under the protection of the clan."

"Oh well, Kouga isn't my boyfriend or anything..." Kagome started to explain, and the green-eyed wolf opened his eyes more to watch her explain.

"Kagome!" Her head snapped to the calling of her name. Inuyasha ran into the cave much to everyone else's dismay. The wolf demons were up on their feet as the dog demon barrelled in with the rest of their friends in tow. Growls of protest for him being there were addressed, and the warriors took on defensive stances at the rude intrusion. Of course they knew he would be here, but it didn't mean he was welcome. They all knew the relationship between their Alpha and the Inu hanyou was not strong.

"Where's that flea-bitten wolf? I'm gonna kill him! Running off with you like that, just makes me mad!" Inuyasha approached Kagome, but there were wolf demons in front of him to block his path. "You scrawny wolves need to stay out of my way." Inuyasha put his right hand on the hilt of Tetsusaiga in warning. Sango and the others stayed a ways back from where Inuyasha stood, as the wolf pack all got to their feet in surprise at the entry.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome advanced towards the half demon, ignoring the questioning looks of the wolf pack. "We're supposed to wait here until Kouga returns."

"He just left you here being ogled by his men?" Inuyasha scoffed as he took in the sight of the pack. The wolves growled in response, not appreciating this intruder insulting them on their own turf.

"We're protecting our own," one of the male demons spit back in response. "A female claimed by one of ours is a part of the pack. Anyone to pose a threat to the claim, will not go near her."

"Claim my ass! Kagome, tell them that Kouga's so-called claim is a load of shit! Besides, he only wants her to track down the jewel shards."

"The only load of shit around here, is you Inutrasha!" Kouga's voice echoed as he made his reappearance alongside Hakkaku. He walked calmly towards the hanyou and stopped a six feet away from him with his hand on his hip. "Why are you here anyway? There's no reason for you to be here. As I recall, it's Kagome who wanted to speak to me not you."

Inuyasha growled. "Trust me I don't want to be here. I'm just making sure you keep your filthy paws off Kagome!"

"Kagome is safe with me, mutt. She's lucky I drop by to check in on her while she's travelling with you. I've had to rescue her multiple times because you couldn't!"

"Why you!" Inuyasha clenched his fist and lifted his hoari sleeve in preparation of punching this guy's lights out. How dare he critique his ability to protect Kagome.

"Inuyasha...can we just carry on with what we came here to do?" Kagome huffed in annoyance. Someone had to stop this mess of bickering before it escalated. Usually they would bicker and Kouga would run off in haste. He would rile Inuyasha up just enough to drive him crazy and then leave.

Kagome felt Kouga cup her hands in his while staring deeply down into her eyes. "Don't worry Kagome, soon Naraku will be gone and you won't have to put up with that puppy anymore. You'll be able to stay with me."

"As if she would want to stay in a cave of stinking wolves for the rest of her life!" Inuyasha pressed forward and separated the two by stepping in front of Kagome to shield her. Kagome was thankful for his intervention at that moment. Hakkaku took this moment to break up the spat.

"Hey boss, I don't mean to interrupt but the Elders will be here soon for the ceremony. Shouldn't we be making sure everything is ready for their arrival?" Kouga didn't peel his eyes away from Inuyasha, and answered with a huff. He would have to deal with the mutt later. There were other matters calling his attention. Whatever business Kagome had with him would have to wait until he was done with the ceremony preparations. "Don't get too comfortable around here, Inuyasha. We're far from done." Kouga whipped his head around searching for Ginta. When he picked out his duo coloured hair from the crowd of demons, he motioned for him to step forward. "Ginta, you'll be in charge of giving Kagome the tour of our caves. Make sure Inuyasha stays behind. I don't want to smell his stench through the tunnels."

"Come back and say that to my face, moron!" Inuyasha lunged at Kouga when he decidedly ignored him by turning his back on him. "Come back and fight me!"

Kagome tried to grab Inuyasha by the sleeve of his haori, but the cloth slipped too fast away from her fingers for her to stop him.

Inuyasha pulled his fist back to swing a punch, but with the help of the sacred jewel shards, Kouga was one step ahead. He dodged the attack and watched as Inuyasha's fist connected with thin air. Inuyasha's body slumped forward as he missed his target by seconds and looked up to see where the wolf demon escaped. Kouga smirked at the failed attempt. "Too slow as always, dog-boy. This is your last chance to walk away before I end your life. No one strikes at me and gets away with it." Kouga cracked his knuckles waiting for Inuyasha to hastily attack. All he had to do was end the mutt's life and Kagome would be his forever. There would be no more competition.

"Stop!" Kagome ran in between the two demons. "We aren't here to fight!"

"Tell that to him!" Both of the demon's shouted in unison, and after hearing the other say the same thing they growled with menacing ferocity.

"Inuyasha, I've told you before we arrived. We're not here to fight, only to talk. We can't afford to make enemies of ourselves."

Kouga smirked as he watched the dog get scolded by the woman of his dreams. Kagome turned around and pointed at Kouga so suddenly he had to re-evaluate if he was seeing right. "And you! Make sure you get whatever you need to do done and fast because I'm not going to wait around all day to talk business with you. I've got shards to find and Naraku to kill."

The wolf demons were all in shock at the priestess who dare speak to their leader. For those who had recently joined the pack, they feared for the girl's life, but for those that knew Kagome and her temper well they grinned knowing that Kouga would just be enticed by her commanding tone even more. Still the majority of the stares waited for Kouga's ultimate response on the situation. Kouga noticed an eery silence wash over the cave as they waited on him.

"You never cease to amaze me, Kagome. Come with me then, we'll talk as I oversee the preparations." Kouga grinned a toothy smile as he waited for the priestess to make up her mind. Kagome's shoulders relaxed slightly as she made her way towards to wolf prince, but not before Inuyasha grabbed her wrist to pull her back. "Kagome don't go with him." Kagome looked back and smiled softly. "We're just going to talk. Hakkaku is with us and there will be others around. Stay here with the others, I'll be fine."

Inuyasha looked into her eyes and saw the serious tone of her words. He loosened his grip on her wrist hesitantly and crossed his arms looking to the side where all the wolf demons watched with increased interest. "Keh. It's not you I'm worried about." Kagome touched his arm, and smiled at him reassuringly.

"I'll be back before you know it." With that said she parted from the group and followed Kouga and Hakkaku down a tunnel leading towards the location where Kouga was needed.

Inuyasha watched anxiously as his best friend departed from the main cave and away from his sight. He could only hope she was right. He couldn't trust that love-struck wolf around her, but he could try and trust her. Either way he was ready to kick the wolf's ass if he tried anything with her. Just the thought of it sent him into a jealous rage. He took off past his friends to get some much needed fresh air. The scent of wolves clustered behind him was making his head spin fast and heightened his rage.

He could hear the distant calls of his friends echo within the caves. He sped past them so fast they barely managed to catch sight of where he was headed. When they caught up to him outside along the rocky face and cliff of the mountain, they urged him to trust Kagome and her plan.

"We don't like this situation anymore than you do, but the faster we get through this, the sooner we can move on to finding the rest of the jewel shards." Miroku reasoned with the hanyou in hopes of calming the poor guy down. He knew it wasn't easy watching one of their own walk off with a rival, let alone someone he swore to protect.

"I hope you guys are right," Inuyasha looked back to the cave where he just came from and scowled with distaste.

...

Kagome continued down the passage with Kouga leading the way. Hakkaku made sure to stay beside Kagome to keep her company as they made their way to their destination. When a whistle of wind echoed to her ears, and a natural light illuminated the end of the passage, Kagome began to see pieces of the scene unfold before her eyes. As they reached the next room, she took in the scenery of a grand room that had a half roof-like dome shielding a portion of the area underneath the sky. The air was colder as it was a partially outdoor type of room. She could see female wolf demons setting up vine-like garlands around a circular platform where she presumed the fated couple would take their vows. It wasn't set up like a traditional modern wedding with pews or an aisle. What she did notice were five cushions and bowls placed on the ground around the platform.

On either side of the entrance there were what looked like fire pits with a thin weird-looking reed placed up against the pillars of wood. She was about to question what the reeds were for, but Kouga was approached by a female wolf demon with long black hair and green eyes similar to the demon that spoke to her earlier in the main cave.

"Prince Kouga, the females and I have finished with the preparations. Kora is working on the feast with the help of Naiko and Misa. I believe Hana and Souku are in their respective rooms getting ready for the ceremony."

"Good, good. What of the accommodations for the Elders?" Kouga asked curiously.

"We left that duty to the younger ones: Bea, Mikasa, Luna, and Reena." Kouga eyed the she-wolf skeptically. Noticing this look, the she-demon quickly explained her decision. "We wanted to give them more responsibility so they know the honour of hosting the Elders."

"Very well. Shall we go check on them then?" Kouga waited for the demoness to lead the way to the guest chambers. Kagome again felt the stares of the wolf demons looking at her. Some in confusion, and others in disbelief. If they wanted to make her feel uncomfortable then they succeeded. Her nerves jumped inside her stomach, not knowing what she should do or say if one of them approached her. As she left the room with the others, Hakkaku sensed the tension rise and fall with Kagome's breathing.

"Don't worry, Sister. Once they get to know you they won't look at you like you're a threat." Kagome pondered his words and nodded. Not that she wanted them to get to know her. She was fine with keeping her distance. Is not like she was there to stay. Not now, not ever.

As they rounded a corner to a narrow corridor with fur covered floors, Kagome felt Kouga stop suddenly to look at her. "This is as far as you can go, Kagome. Humans aren't supposed to set foot in this area. Eda and I will be back shortly." Taking the queue to stay behind, Hakkaku kept Kagome company as they waited for the chief and the demoness to return from the inspection.

Kagome could hear Kouga's booming voice as he opened one of the stone slabs covering the entry way to a room. Kagome and Hakkaku jumped from the commotion down the hall.

There was a tumultuous cry of surprised female voices that filled the air. In seconds Kouga was pointing his finger at the lot inside the room while looking disapprovingly at the females. "You call this teaching them to respect the honour of hosting the Elders, Eda?"

Eda looked just as surprised, and forlorn at the state of the room. The room was in disarray as they walked in and found the younger girls jumping up and down on the bed and running amok with fur pelts wrapped around themselves. "Reena, Luna, Mikasa, Bea! Stop this immediately. You should be ashamed! I asked you to help with the preparations, and look at this mess. Clean this up right now!"

Soft whispers of apologies were murmured in conjunction with the patronizing words of their superior. "I'm so sorry, Kouga-sama. I'll make sure these rooms will be ready. You have my word."

"Make sure you do. As for the rest of you..get these rooms in order before the Elder's arrive and I won't mention this to your parents later." Kagome could hear the frantic footsteps of furniture being moved around as Kouga left the mess to Eda.

Kagome could hear Eda's voice ringing through the hallways as Kouga led her away from the circus. "We don't need the four of you working on one room, split up and go tend the others. You better hope that those ones are in a better state than this one, or there's going to be hell to pay!"

Kouga ran a hand through his bangs and huffed as he walked away from the site. Kagome couldn't help but giggle. She didn't expect Kouga to be the type to deal with children. He was like a mentor in the way he addressed the kids.

"Damn kids. You leave them alone long enough and they begin to think they run this place." Kouga was exasperated. He never had to host these kinds of functions, and he was hoping that it would be a long time until the next one. Kagome smiled, "That wasn't bad back there." Kouga and Hakkaku looked at Kagome credulously. Kagome picked up on what they thought she meant. "I mean the way you handled the situation."

Kouga shrugged nonchalantly. "They need to learn respect for their superiors. I can just imagine what the Elders would have done if they saw their accommodations in such a mess. Those kids would have been severely punished. Of course, they don't know that kind of treatment here. They have it good. Anywhere else, they might not have been so fortunate."

"What are you saying? What would the Elders have done?"

"They would have beaten them, or sent them off to a distant tribe to serve their punishment away from their families. Or they would be put in an arranged marriage to another member in one of the four wolf tribes."

"Sounds like the Elders have a lot of power."

"Disrespect is a serious offence. Kagome, I must ask that you and your friends refrain from attending the actual ceremony. It just dawned on me that humans aren't exactly permitted to these types of events. If I had the choice, I wouldn't have to bat an eye in agreeing that you be permitted, but like I said disrespect is a serious offence. I could be ousted as tribe leader if I'm not careful." Kagome softly nodded her head in understanding. It was probably for the best that they take their leave earlier than originally planned.

"Understandable. About the business I want to talk to you about...if now is a good time, I would like to start discussing a few things with you." Kagome held her hands behind her back diplomatically. Kouga stopped for a moment to assess her request. He didn't have anything else he needed to look over just yet, other than give Kagome a tour.

"Ok. What is it you need to tell me?" Kouga had his hands crossed over his chest and Hakkaku leaned up against a wall silently listening to the two.

"Well, first, I must say that some things I disclose with you cannot leave your lips after we are done here. There is a lot at stake, and I am trusting you, both of you, to keep my secret safe." Kagome never lost Kouga and Hakkaku's eye contact as she finished speaking. She had their undivided attention and so now she just had to work up the courage to ask them for a very large favour. Kouga and Hakkaku pledged their loyalty in keeping quiet.

It took a good chunk of time to explain the impending doom of war that was upon them all, but when Kagome explained how she knew this in advance their looks of incredulity surfaced again. She just spilled the beans of how she was able to travel back and forth between this time and her own.

"It's with a great sense of purpose and responsibility that I must carry out the preparations for this task. On an alternate note, I initially came here to ask for your support in the fight against Naraku, and in the support in building a safety zone for the villagers. I know this is a lot to ask in terms of resources and man-power. There will be an established effort from the villagers and my group to accommodate wolf demons while the building of such a village is in the works. There is only a two month window to build this village and it must be done discreetly. That means anyone possessing the jewel shards cannot be anywhere near this proposed area. Any unnecessary attention directed to it, will render the effort futile." Kagome took a long pause before continuing. "I wouldn't trust anyone else with this, and am asking you and your tribe to help save the lives of the innocent."

"Finally! A battle against Naraku. You have our support," Kouga gave a toothy smirk to the young miko. "As for the building. It's not going to be easy to enlist the support of the tribe. Even though I have enormous pull in the way of eliciting support, most demons will not willingly go to the aid of humans especially if there is nothing in it for them. We have amalgamated with more tribes and these demons were initially on a human based diet before relocating here. If having the jewel shards means I cannot be anywhere near the development, then I can't keep my men in line from previous nasty habits."

Kagome's shoulders slumped, but an idea formed in her head that would make sure the support would be won in her favour. "What if you "set-up" a camp for your men in the safety zone and make them think it's a spot for them to develop a temporary camp and when it gets close to the time of the battle we'll place the villagers in the camp while your men leave for battle?"

"Hm, I guess that could work..." Kouga peered over at Hakkaku who was in the middle of picking the dirt out of his claws. "Hakkaku."

Hakkaku's head jerked up at the recent call of his name. "Ya boss?"

"I'm putting you in charge of this development. The camp will be made before the date of the battle...and you will make sure that no humans in the village nearby will be harmed during this agreement or else you'll pay with your life. Is that clear?"

Hakkaku straightened his stance and made a salute towards Kouga. "Oh and one more thing. Take Ginta with you." Hakkaku nodded, and ran off to notify Ginta of the recent change in events. Kagome quickly reacted after realizing that she didn't confirm with Hakkaku about keeping things on the down-low.

"Wait! Hakkaku!" Hakkaku stopped mid-run and looked back to Kagome. Kouga watched curiously as Kagome ran towards his comrade. She stopped a couple paces before him before relaying her final message. "I need to ask you to do something for me. On the day of the battle, I would like you and Ginta to select a few trusted, non-human eating comrades to protect the villagers. Can you do this for me?"

Hakkaku smiled, "Sure thing, Sister." Kagome sighed and smiled in return. Without further adieu, Hakkaku left Kagome alone with Kouga. Things would turn out now that everything was set into motion all that was left to do was to gather the wolves that would be leaving for Inuyasha's Forest.

"So this is a new side of you I haven't seen before, Kagome." Kagome was brought out of her thoughts by Kouga's comment. "I like this commanding tone you have going on. It's everything I look for in a woman." Kagome blushed crimson. Here he was again going on about her being his woman.

"Well, I just need to make sure I take care of my own. You know how it is." Kagome paused before continuing she wasn't sure how to navigate this part of their conversation. He had walked up beside her, and had his right hand placed on his hip while looking down at her in admiration. "Kouga...I think I should be getting back to my friends. I've been away from them for awhile now, and we've finished our discussion."

"We have?" Kouga looked a bit put out at her statement. Without thinking, Kouga grabbed Kagome softly by the arms. "Hey, about what I said earlier with the party thing. You're not upset are you? You know I wouldn't ask you to leave if I had the choice, right?" Kouga looked in her eyes for any doubts that she had about his choice. Kagome was stunned for a couple seconds at the close contact and soul-searching look he was giving her.

"Oh, Um. No not at all. I understand that things are complicated. Don't worry." Kagome felt his shoulders fall as he breathed a sign of relief that he hadn't hurt her feelings. It was different watching him care about her feelings, unlike Inuyasha. He didn't dare to take hers into account most often. There was a silence between them now, and Kagome in a rush to get out of the awkward situation decided to cut things short. "But you should get back to making sure everything is ready. I'm going to find my friends and we will be out of your tribe's way before the Elder's arrive. Thanks again for helping me out!" Before Kouga could protest or say anything, Kagome had dashed away from him in the direction Hakkaku left earlier.

...

Kagome was confused on where she was going. After all, they hadn't exactly come through these tunnels on their way to the ceremony room. She ran until she reached a fork in the path. There were two other tunnels that led in different directions she assumed. She could hear distant echoes of voices but didn't know how to distinguish one from the other or which tunnel they were coming from. Kagome paced in front of the entrances of both tunnels. ' _It's not like I can do Eenie Meanine Minny Moe_...ok, _Kagome, left or right. Which one is it gonna be_?'

"I've honestly always wondered how humans could bare not having the same abilities we do. It's such a shame people like you get lost all too often because of your weak sense of smell." A familiar voice spoke cooly, and spooked Kagome from behind. Kagome whipped her head around to see Ayame. Kagome could feel her eyes pierce her in every way. This wasn't a friendly meeting, she was here for a purpose. Kagome took a step back subconsciously.

"Oh, Ayame. It's just you." Kagome retorted.

"Yeah, just me..." Ayame flicked one of her pig tails over her shoulder with her hand, as she looked on at Kagome with contempt. "You know it's a surprise finding you here on the day of my cousin's ceremony. And with Kouga's scent all over you."

Kagome was a little shocked at her comment, but it wasn't like she did anything with Kouga. They just talked as friends, or at least she did. "Look, nothing happened between us if that's what you're wondering."

Ayame laughed at Kagome. "You think I don't know that? I don't know what he sees in you when he's got me around. At least I'm a full demon and can bear him strong sons."

Kagome frowned at this whole situation. "Ok. Nice chat, but I don't have time for your melodrama." She turned her back on the female wolf demon that was in the middle of insulting her. She immediately regretted turning her back when she felt herself being yanked backwards roughly. She felt the offending hand pierce the fair skin on her arm. Before she knew it, she was spun around and another hand gripped her chin and jaw tightly as if she were a child being scolded.

Ayame's eyes coldly cut through Kagome's warm orbs. "How dare you turn your back on me. I wasn't done talking to you, Kagome." Kagome gasped when she felt the slightly prick from Ayame's claws against her face. "If I see you with Kouga or smell Kouga's scent on you again, I will end your pathetic life. Do I make myself clear?"

Instead of Kagome looking on at Ayame with fear, she glared with intense rage. Kagome gripped both Ayame's wrists tightly, and pressed forward so that their noses were no more than a hair apart. "Let me make myself clear." A flash of purification power radiated through Kagome's hands as she held on to Ayame. Adam's eyes widened in shock and pain as she felt quick waves of purification power spread into her nerves. "Whatever you think is going on is all in your head. You make me out to be a villain, when I'm not even interested in Kouga. You should be more concerned why Kouga isn't interested in you instead of taking it out on me. I'm not the problem here, Ayame. You are."

Kagome instantly let go of Ayame's wrists as she could smell burnt flesh. Ayame's wrists were red and swollen from the burns. She didn't know whether to attack Kagome or stay away after being given mercy from Kagome's wrath. The priestess had walked away and left her to her thoughts. All she could do was think about the words Kagome left her with after the confrontation. ' _You should be more concerned why Kouga isn't interested in you intend of taking it out on me. I'm not the problem here, Ayame. You are._ '

"That little bitch! She almost purified me!" Ayame was boiling over with rage and forgot about the pain from the purification burns. She followed in the direction Kagome walked off to, and the scent of the human was burning in her flared nostrils. This was going to end in blood, and not her own. Kagome will die here and now. All her problems will be gone, and Kouga will be hers.

With the rest of the Inu gang, they were waiting outside the main den when they saw Kagome quickly approaching. They were relieved to see her as Inuyasha was impatiently pacing outside the entrance in worry and frustration. Their faces immediately went from her eyes to her chin where small gashes were noticeably glaring at them for attention.

"Kagome!" Sango rushed forward with her hands clutching the smaller girl's shoulders. "What happened to you? What did he do? I'll kill him!" Sango released Kagome's shoulders and grabbed for her Hiraikotsu. There was going to be hell to pay, but not as much hell as Inuyasha was about to start with the wolf prince. He had shot off with the speed of light following the direction of the scent that assaulted Kagome. No one was going to get away with this, not while he was living and breathing.

Kagome finally noticed that Inuyasha was nowhere in sight as she had been distracted by Sango's interrogation. "He's gone? Oh no!" Kagome motioned to run after him, but Miroku held her back telling her that if she interfered it would only make matters worse.

"But he thinks Kouga did this. It wasn't. It was Ayame!" Kagome pulled against Miroku's hands urging him to let her run after Inuyasha to correct the problem. Miroku let the girl go in realization. "Why would Ayame do this to you?"

"She's insanely jealous, and might I emphasize the part where I said **_insane._** _"_ Kagome looked at them with huge eyes hoping they'd catch her drift.

Sango grimaced when she noticed the marks just below Kagome's elbow. "She did that to you too?" Kagome followed Sango's line of sight to her arm. There was a noticeable bruise forming where clawed marks had grazed her flesh. "Don't worry she didn't go unharmed either. Hopefully she learned her lesson." Kagome looked down at the ground. It actually did hurt her to see Ayame so upset, after most interactions with her were civil at best. She never expected the wolf demon to attack her like she had in the tunnels.

"Shouldn't we be going after Inuyasha like Kagome said Miroku?" Shippo asked nervously. "It's awfully quiet in those caves." Coincidentally, Shippo said that moments before the sounds of a fight broke through with a startling _boom_. The sounds of malice tinged words being exchanged and the cracking noise of fists being thrown. They could only guess that Inuyasha had found Kouga.

They ran into the main den where everyone had gathered around the scene of Kouga and Inuyasha in an intense and deadly scrap. Inuyasha was hellbent angry, and Kouga was defending against Inuyasha's attacks. From the looks of them, they were sustaining injuries. Inuyasha had a grazed thigh, and Kouga was nursing a wounded left arm.

"You think you can take her away and mark her up like that, you piece of shit!" Inuyasha's fist aimed to connect with Kouga's stomach, but the wolf prince evaded the attack and just missed the fist that would have sent him flying into the cave wall behind him.

"I told you! I have no idea what you're talking about! I didn't lay a hand on Kagome!" Kouga dodged yet another fist Inuyasha had flung his way.

"Kouga! Inuyasha! Stop!" Kagome pushed her way through the crowd of wolf demons until she reached the center where the fight was taking place. Kouga looked at Kagome and saw the marks Inuyasha was speaking of, and the scent that drifted to his nose was even more shocking to him. ' _Ayame..'_ It didn't take long for Kouga to search through the many eyes that were watching them, until he landed on those of Ayame. Her face turned away in contempt when he locked eyes on her. She would be damned if he was going to make her apologize.

"Ayame!" Kouga ignored another incoming assault from Inuyasha as he barrelled through his comrades to reach the snooty wolf princess of their neighbouring clan. Her eyes had widened not expecting his reaction to be so aggressive.

"Inuyasha, SIT!" Kagome had halted Inuyasha's attacks against Kouga to Inuyasha's dismay. The wolf demon audience avoided being thrown out of Kouga's way as much as possible in the wolf demon's pursuit to the culprit. Ayame noticed little room for an escape, when an elderly but commanding voice broke the commotion.

"What in God's name is going on in here? Where is Kouga?" Four older demons presented themselves in the main entrance with incredulous looks at the scene in front of them. Each of the Elders wore grey cloaks over their wolf demon armour and padding. The newcomers were in a procession of sorts with all four members in a horizontal line, but the middle right figure more pointedly in the front. The Elder on the far left zeroed in on the scene between Ayame and Kouga, unfortunately for Kouga, Ayame was that Elder's granddaughter. The main Elder that lead the group hushed Ayame's Grandfather as he looked at the congregation of wolf demons.

"Kouga! Explain yourself and this appalling mess in your main entrance!" the Elder had deep forest green eyes that narrowed at the sight of Kouga. Kouga glared a bit longer at Ayame, and slowly peeled his eyes away from hers to address the First Elder that spoke.

"Hai, Elder Miatku. I understand what this looks like, but you have no need to worry. The ceremonial room is ready for the bonding. It's unfortunate that Ayame decided to attack an ally of mine just before your arrival." Ayame looked away childishly. She couldn't believe he ratted her out to the Elders in front of everyone.

"Ayame, does Kouga speak the truth?" Ayame's Grandfather spoke searchingly. Kouga looked back at Ayame as if to challenge her to go against his statement.

"N-no, Grandpa. He speaks the truth." Ayame bit her lip and cast her attention to the ground with a brooding attitude.

"Now then, who is this ally you speak of that was ruthlessly targeted by Ayame?" Elder Miatku questioned assertively while scanning the room for the injured victim.

Kouga was cautiously mute. He wasn't sure what the Elders would do if they saw Kagome and her group. This was the end of his reign in the Eastern Mountains, there was no doubt about it now. He could feel the rising tension between himself and the Elder's he had to say something.

"My allies from the East...a group that allies in the fight against Naraku." Kouga tried to remain allusive and cooperative, but he couldn't bare to find out what they would do when they see a group of humans in his cave. The crowd of wolf demons looked to the mentioned group in their presence. It wasn't long until the Elders caught a glimpse of the scent of 3 humans, a hanyou, and two outsider demons.

Elder Miatku raised a brow at Kouga in his interesting choice in allies. He now had a clear look at the group, and instantly noticed which of the individuals was indeed the victim of Ayame's assault. Miatku started walking over to Kagome, intrigued that a female ningen was deemed worthy as an ally of the Eastern Wolf Tribe. "Ayame, Kouga come hither." The Elder motioned with his hand for the two demons to come forward to his side without taking his eyes off Kagome. Inuyasha was growling at the emotionless look Miatku was giving Kagome. When Kouga and Ayame approached, Miatku ordered Kouga to restrain Inuyasha. Kouga looked at Inuyasha seriously as he quickly did a somersault jump over Inuyasha's head to pull the hanyou's hand behind his back. "Kouga, you bastard. What's the meaning of this!" Kouga growled and whispered for Inuyasha to listen. "Don't do anything stupid right now. Just trust me."

"Some ally you have there Kouga." Miatku chuckled at the hanyou's growing impatience and skepticism. Miatku resumed his attention to Kagome. He raised his hand to tilt her chin up to see the damage that was done to the woman's chin and jaw line. "Now let's have a look at you my dear." Kagome was nervous about what was about to happen. Was he going to end her life and cast Kouga's rights as leader away? She looked at Ayame's smug smirk as if she knew an inevitable death order was going to be called against Kagome's life. "Ahh, yes. It seems you are a priestess with substantial power if you could melt the flesh of a demon, it seems you could have done more damage than you inflicted however...explain why you didn't kill her." Kagome was shocked at the question, but was about to speak when Ayame rudely interfered and vibrantly started her rendition of the story.

"Well, she was encroaching on my territory-" Miatku glared at Ayame for speaking when not asked. Kagome waited a couple seconds before she knew she had Miatku's attention again.

"She is an ally. I did not wish to kill her. I only defended against her assault, hoping it would stop her from continuing to hurt me."

"Ahh I see. What was the reason for the attack?" Miatku remained emotionless in his inquiries and responses as if he were unfazed by Ayame's conduct.

"Because I'm female, human and I'm allies with Kouga."

"Jealousy does not become you, Ayame. You'd do well to remember that this is not your territory so long as you are not mated to Kouga. You will also do well to remember that an ally of Kouga's is an ally of yours." Miatku chastised the female demon and Ayame was insulted with the remark. "You are dismissed from attending the ceremony, Ayame. Elder Choro...please escort your granddaughter away from the Eastern Lands and back to the Northern tribe. We are finished here." Kouga released Inuyasha as soon as Miatku concluded the interrogation. He was even silently celebrating in happiness from the look of relief that passed over his face. Of course he was also relieved to still be leader of the Eastern Tribe.

Elder Choro grumbled underneath his breath as he roughly grabbed Ayame by the arm and lead her away from the First Elder. Kagome looked on in amazement. Her mind was racing over the events that just took place.

Kagome looked over to Inuyasha and Kouga to see if she was indeed safe. Inuyasha glared menacingly at Kouga for the hundredth time that day. "We're leaving." Inuyasha grabbed Kagome's arm and pushed her to move her feet towards the entrance.

"Oh, and where do you think you two are going?" Miatku turned around to Inuyasha and Kagome. Inuyasha put a hand on his hip and defiantly looked at the old geezer. Kouga's celebration came to a quick end as he cursed Inuyasha for his stupidity.

"Look you old coot, I don't have to answer to you. We've been here for far too long today and we are leaving." Inuyasha proceeded to walk away with Kagome when the Elder held him back by his shoulder.

"I insist you stay. Besides, a lot of damage has been done to your friend. I would like to extend our hospitality out to your group for the inconvenience of Ayame's actions."

"Well, we don't need your hospitality. Come on Miroku, Sango, Shippo, Kirara...we're going."

Elder Miatku and the remaining Elders within seconds had Inuyasha standing still as they pointed their spears in a circle around his neck.

"I don't think you understood me the first time." Miatku said with a small smile.

"I said, I insist." Miatku smirked triumphantly as the hanyou was given an ultimatum. Fight or Stay. Kouga shook his head in aggravation. They were almost out of the danger zone, and of course the mutt had to open that big mouth of his. There was no bargaining with the Elders...only pleasantries and submission.

* * *

Another chapter done, and more to come. Thanks for reading! :)


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: A Promise Is A Promise**

 _Just be careful  
_ _Love ain't simple  
_ _Promise me no promises_

 _-_ Cheat Codes ft. Demi Lovato "No Promises"

Kagome heard the rumble of his growls as he fought with himself to concede or attack. Inuyasha remained still and darted his eyes back and forth, cautiously anticipating the next move from the opposition. Kagome didn't ignore the threat that surrounded them. Those spears were very much pointed at her just as much as they were pointed at Inuyasha. However, the spears were farther away from her body than they were towards Inuyasha's neck.

Miatku smiled knowing how much this infuriated the hanyou to no end. He casually waved a hand towards the wolves around Kagome, allowing them to lower their weapons around her. He had heard rumours of the girl's connection to the pack. It was an interesting development that he was unsure how to feel about. On one hand, it was an act against their way of life. On the other...she had saved the Eastern tribe from extinction. A puzzling creature this human was indeed.

Miatku took an alarming step towards Inuyasha. Inuyasha counted the seconds until he pummelled the wolves that held him captive. Miatku watched Inuyasha very closely as he crept forward. It was only until Inuyasha grabbed the underside of one of the wolf demons spears aimed at his neck that he began to fling warriors left and right. He jumped out of the way of a flying scythe on a chain, this was an easy fight. His ego inflated as he evaded attacks, faint shouts of his name echoed in his ears.

Kagome struggled against the wolves that held her back from approaching Inuyasha. She had intervened in his stead as much as she could the entire time he was here. It was her fault she dragged him with her. It was the unbreakable vow they silently obeyed. It was the reason she had to do what she was about to do now. Muttering an audible apology in advance, Kagome mustered enough spiritual power to slightly zap the wolves keeping her from running towards her best friend. It was enough time for her to jolt forward at a sprint as the shock registered on the warrior's faces. She could feel her heart pounding, the steps of wolves following after her to regain their grip on her. She moved with the adrenaline warming her veins, and her muscles contracting from the cool brisk air assaulting her skin.

She could see the congregation of wolf demons sneaking up behind him they were ready to use the butt ends of their weapons to knock him out. It was like a blur of slow moments that led up to her next move. Her hands tingled with something foreign. Without much notice to what was going on, she reached him and got in a protective stance...and the words that came out of her mouth astounded her as well as the audience. "Mine."

As soon as she uttered those words a barrier erected around her and Inuyasha. The shock registered in everyone's faces, and soon it reflected in her expression. Everyone stopped everything they were doing including her friends who were trying to negotiate with Kouga.

"Wha..what did you just say?" Inuyasha struggled to breathe, his heart skipped a beat and his voice hitched in his throat. Clearing his throat, he was about to ask her if she was feeling okay. Kagome didn't dare to look at him. She couldn't believe the words she confessed. It was like a primal admission to her buried feelings and it's not like she owned him or anything like that...it just happened. She felt like slapping herself. It was like a wave of body language switching to look at their leader. Kouga. Kouga had his arms crossed and looked away. This wasn't how she wanted things to go.

"Kagome..." Inuyasha was waiting for her to look at him. It no longer mattered that wolves were trying to attack him. He didn't care for the hurtful exchanges he had with the girl prior to the moment she confessed that he was hers in demon language. He reached for her arm, but immediately regretted doing so as he felt her spiritual powers threaten to touch her. How was that even possible when she was the one who summoned a barrier around them.

"We are leaving. This has gone far enough, Miatku. Your 'hospitality' ends here, and we will take our leave." It didn't take much to beckon her friends out of the group of wolf demons that were now looking horrified at the situation. No one dared talk to the elders in such a way.

Miatku smirked. Wolf demons backed up away. That was never a good sign. Kagome had her crew in her sights, and they were close enough for her to extend the barrier to cover them. An energy was brewing in front of them. Winds from outside had been summoned into the cave as a whirl of wind was circling around a very bemused demon.

Kagome's heart fell to her stomach. She didn't know if she could hold a barrier against this demon or what would happen. She had come here for a favour...and now she was stamping over the deal with not so much as an apology.

"Start backing up, and Kirara get ready to fly us out of here." As per usual, Inuyasha reluctantly obeyed her orders. Favouring the alternative to always protect her. Kagome glanced back knowing he stayed behind with her. She avoided eye contact...she didn't want to be rejected for the umpteenth time, and for a while she has been repressing feelings and telling herself that she is over him...but there is just this connection she cannot shake. Their friends had escaped out the entrance, as Kagome allowed the barrier to let them break through the back and out of the cave.

"Inuyasha, please go. I can only hold this for so long..." Kagome felt the jolts of her barrier losing its momentum. The elder was transforming. They needed to escape now. Inuyasha protested, but it only took Kagome's stern voice yelling 'Go' to get him to budge.

Once Inuyasha was out of the barrier, Kagome retreated just outside the parameters of the cave entrance and held the barrier up while letting the barrier from behind dissipate. Using the reserve of the ki from the dissipating barrier, Kagome felt the thundering blows to the other side. It felt like she was stuck in a crevice hiding from a monster trying to get a piece of her.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha made no mistake, he knew she was taking one for the team when she didn't need to. He grabbed her by the mid section and pulled her backwards away from her concentration. Beads of sweat rolled down her forehead as the strain from her powers released and took their toll on her body and mind. Inuyasha picked her up bridal style and started jumping away into the air away from the entrance. There was only seconds until the barrier would break and a murderous wolf demon would be on their tails.

"Inuyasha...I tried." Kagome muttered before falling unconscious while shivering uncontrollably in his arms. The blast of the barrier falling apart as Miatku tore through relentlessly. The wolf demon now in his animosity was covered in grey and brown fur. Inuyasha had landed on the ground and bounded away from the explosion. They were all moving now, escaping away back in the direction they had arrived. Another large creature tore through the smoke and dust to chomp at the back leg of Miatku. This wolf demon seemed more fit, and had thick dark brown fur covering every inch of its massive form. Although slightly smaller in size to the Elder, this demon still looked like a formidable opponent. Miatku snapped and whipped his head around to see who had dared take a snipe at him.

Kouga barked and growled in response to Miatku. He knew this was treasonous to attack his own, let alone an Elder. Even if Kagome had confessed her feelings to Inuyasha and his entire pack. The thought of her getting killed numbed him to the core. He wouldn't be able to live with himself if anything happened to her on his turf, especially because of Inuyasha and the Elder. He wouldn't have to do this if Inuyasha didn't start flapping that big mouth of his. He was going to lose his title and rights all because a puppy couldn't stand to submit in another demons home.

 _"Kouga. You fool!"_ Miatku barked in demon tongue. " _You dare attack your own and let the enemy escape."_

" _I won't let you lay a hand on, Kagome."_ Kouga snapped, while widening his stance. _"Or her friends."_

 _"You should have let go of those feelings for her long ago. Now it will cost you your life. If you dare stop me again, I will sentence you to death."_

 _"I'll never let you get to her, even if it kills me."_ With that, Miatku lunged towards Kouga angered by the Prince's defiance. Before Kouga focused all his attention on Miatku he noticed Inuyasha's red cloth getting fainter in the distance. They were getting far away quick, and that's all he needed to accomplish to save the woman he loved. If she didn't want him, he would at least do this for her.

He jumped away from the explosion of Miatku's form colliding with the ground. The impact shook the sides of the mountain and caused falling rocks to roll down the faces of the slopes. All he had to do was wear the elder down until he slowed his movements. He wasn't motivated to kill the Elder, he wouldn't gain respect or forgiveness of his people. He would only need to knock him out and state that he would grant mercy to Miatku.

 _"Don't think I'm too old to keep up with a pup like you. I've got more experience on you, boy,"_ the deep growling vibrated through the brisk air around them. It wasn't until white flurries drifted down from the dusk sky, that Kouga knew winter had arrived and that the storm was just beginning. This would be a long fight.

* * *

Inuyasha and the gang were far away from the Eastern Mountains. They returned to the forest they had trekked through earlier that day. It was getting darkand they needed to find a suitable and safe place to get rest. Everyone worried about Kagome's condition as she had yet to wake up from her unconscious state. She was breathing, but you could tell from the beads of sweat on her skin that she had run a fever. Inuyasha had long since shed his haori to cover her to keep her warm. Sango had grabbed Kagome's bag as they left and found some red pills that Kagome had once given her when she was ill. Sango crushed the pill with her blade and cupped the powder in a dry leaf. She had also found a cup and bottled water in the bag before walking over to Inuyasha and Kagome. "Here, she needs to take this." Inuyasha reached for the medicine, but Sango rejected the offer. "Sit her up and tilt her head up, and I'll give her the medicine." Miroku had taken the water to fill the cup as Sango was cupping another hand over the leaf, protecting the medicine from blowing away in the wind.

Inuyasha did as Sango told him, and Sango carefully dropped the contents of the leaf into the opening of the younger girl's mouth followed by the cup full of water Miroku handed her. The water slipped down Kagome's throat with the medicine. All they could do was wait and see if Kagome's condition changed in an hour. That's when a snowflake floated down and landed on Sango's hand. She looked up and watched as more dropped down from the darkening sky.

Sango frowned. "We can't stop. For Kagome's sake, we need to keep moving tonight." Inuyasha and Miroku nodded their heads. Inuyasha resumed holding Kagome close to him making sure that the cloth of the fire rat was now swaddled around her head and front so she wouldn't get snow on her.

"If there is shelter, we will need to stop. I don't think we'll come out alive if it storms." Miroku added as he starred up at the sky contemplating if the gods will be merciful to them and their comrade. "We owe it to Kouga for buying us time to get away, but I'm afraid we wouldn't be in this situation if you weren't so coarse, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha was about to object to the monk's comment, but he didn't allow him to utter one word when he continued to berate his friend.

"All that work Kagome did to get them to help us is now wasted because you couldn't handle the situation diplomatically." Although Inuyasha didn't want to hear it, Miroku was right. He couldn't handle it because the idea of being there and watching Kagome spend time alone with the wolf prince repulsed him. They were fighting constantly the whole trip and he squandered her efforts..but that wasn't completely his fault either. She didn't have to claim him as hers in front of everyone. She didn't have to save him or help him. This foolish girl always did the most oddest and compassionate things during intense moments. What an interesting person she was in his life. She could be so driven in her goals and put it all aside when he got in trouble. It was their unspoken pact. They just had each other's back no matter what...Miroku was right after all. He had to trust her to do what she needed to do without getting in the way.

"Inuyasha, I know you two have been fighting, but if everything Kagome has told us this far is true...you might want to help her to make this easier on her. We can't ignore what we saw back there. Her powers are stronger and I don't think she has the strength to control it yet. If she takes on too much at once she could get hurt or worse."

"Yeah, that was something wasn't it?" Inuyasha stated more than asked. He watched her face, it seemed like the medicine was kicking in. Her scent had shifted and her breathing had calmed slightly. Kagome's expression changed from haggard to peaceful as she lay in his arms. He could feel the wetness of the snowflakes melting against his skin. They had to move out now before they get stranded.

"Let's go." With that Inuyasha bounded off with intense speed propelling him forward into the vast distance. Miroku watched as the hanyou ran off with Kagome. He shook his head only hoping that Inuyasha would heed his advice for once. Sango and Shippo watched from afar pretending to pack up Kagome's things. Sango gave the monk a knowing look, mentally telling him not to worry and that Inuyasha had listened. Miroku shrugged his shoulders and hopped onto Kirara.

"Shippo you're so quiet. Are you alright?" Miroku asked looking at the young kit. Shippo was looking down, solemnly fisting his hands into Kirara's fur. Sango swung her leg up on Kirara and was ready to take off, but realized the kitsune was very silent while they had stopped to talk.

"I just want Kagome to be ok...I'm worried about her." Shippo bit his his lip anxiously. Sango looked behind her at the kit and softly smiled.

"Don't worry, Kagome is strong. She will make it through this. We just need to help her out as much as we can until she can take care of herself again."

Sango squeezed Kirara's shoulder to motion her to take off. Kirara looked back to make sure everyone was ready, and she pushed off into a trot before leaping into the sky after Inuyasha and Kagome. They had to stay relatively low because the higher they went the colder it was and the more snow that pelted them in the face.

It was a silent and cold travel to get back to the village, Miroku only wished he knew where Hachi was to make the trip a bit shorter. Although Miroku knew that when it came to Kagome's life, Inuyasha would go full speed no matter if his legs were broken. He would push his limits to save her.

Inuyasha on the other hand, was thankful he wasn't human and that his father had bequeathed him the robe of the fire rat. It had come in handy on more than one occasion, and had saved Kagome's life more than it did for him.

He still couldn't shake the words she shouted out in front of the wolf demon tribe. ' _Mine.'_ It was weird hearing that spill out of her lips. That was demon language for mating, how did she recognize or think to say that to throw everyone off? That was before she showed so much spiritual energy, and the feeling of the energy wafting and threatening him while in the barrier was a bit more than he could take for his liking. There were only a few times when Kagome had used spiritual powers without an arrow. She had used a technique Kikyo had used when battling Tsubaki, and had used her hands to push away demons. He had never seen her erect barriers on her own, or control the radius of them to bubble over people further away. These things were beyond even Kikyo's abilities.

As he rushed through the trees, the scent of a storm was looming. He had to keep pushing his legs harder if he was going to get to the village in one piece. He could only hope that everyone else was doing well in the sky. He was lucky he had the coverage from the trees for mild protection.

Looking down at the girl in his arms, he noticed that the tip of her nose was red from the cold. If only he could cover her entire body with the robe and not suffocate her at the same time. He prayed to Kami that he could get her to the village in time. "Hang in there, Kagome. I'll save you."

* * *

What he thought would be an easy feat to knock out the Elder, was a treacherous battle with someone he had never fought before, and clearly underestimated in endurance and stamina.

Both Miatku and Kouga were visibly panting from exertion. They had each sustained injuries to the stomach, back, and legs, but not enough to fatally end the match.

 _"What's wrong? Just figuring out that I'm far from exhausted?"_ Miatku taunted, able to read the perplexed expression on Kouga's face.

 _"No, just wondering how good it will feel to take you out once and for all,"_ Kouga lied, he had to fool the Elder into thinking he was hellbent on killing him to try and speed up the match. At the current moment they were circling each other waiting for the other to make the first move since their slight moment to catch their breath. Miatku's agility was almost as fast as Kouga with the jewel shards embedded in his legs. It was astounding how the Elder was able to keep up with him. Then again, considering the lineage. He shouldn't be surprised too much at all.

Miatku huffed in annoyance. _"You've always been cocky. Even as a youngster you had to be the best in everything you did, and in order to get ahead you would always abandon the wolf way. I wonder what he would think if he knew you were using the jewel shards to gain strength? He would be so ashamed. Or that you fell in love with a mere human, and a priestess no less."_

This struck a nerve with Kouga. _"There's not only one option or way to achieve something. It's not a weakness, and has made me leader of this tribe. My choices are not a reflection of arrogance. I choose what's right for the tribe, and right now, I'm doing what's right by them. I claimed Kagome as mine, and as such anyone in her pack is welcome and is to be treated like a member of the tribe. You decided to become hostile towards her and Inuyasha. You were out of line."_

At this the members of his tribe were nodding their heads and talking about the accuracy of what Kouga said. " _Even when my men had their spears pointed at them did you notice that there was very little on my intended? Do you know why? She has shown more compassion to my people than you have. When Kagura had murdered half the men of my tribe, how long did it take for you to come here? As I recall, it took you a year. Your ignorance and selfishness speaks volumes. You cause a problem on the day of a mating ceremony, and don't even have the decency to keep your drama in line. So where do your priorities lie? It certainly isn't with us."_

 _"_ Ya! Kouga's right!" The mate-to-be's shouted out in the midst of the crowd. More voices chimed in to agree until you had a chanting of words being thrown down to the Elder.

"We don't need the Elders!"

"Screw you, Miatku!"

Miatku roared in response to the defiance. _"You fools! You should count yourselves luck I don't banish you right now along with your whelp of a Prince."_

Kouga felt the confidence rise in himself as his comrades back him up, but grimaced at Miatku for the whelp comment. In that moment of distraction, Kouga dashed toward the Elder ready to make the strike that would render him unconscious. The Elder anticipated the attack, and caught Kouga's forearm in his mouth. The fangs of the elder crunched into Kouga's arm and the younger leader cried out in anguish. Kouga retaliated and used his left paw to scratch at the Elder's eye. The Elder immediately slackened its jaws as he was caught by surprise. Miatku shook his head vigorously, while seeing red from his eyes. His eye was gushing blood, and he could only see from his right eye.

 _"Kouga. You will pay with your life for this. DIE!"_ Miatku blind in his rage from losing his sight, lunged for the Prince's throat. He was too late as Kouga had anticipated a headstrong attack. Evading the slice at his neck, Kouga sliced the Elder's arm with his paw. All the attacks on the Elder were on defence and his entire tribe could see that he wasn't attacking with murderous intent like the Elder was demonstrating. Kouga remained calm as Miatku became aggravated from receiving wounds to his body. The energy of remaining in the demonoid form was also taxing his agility.

 _"_ Elder Miatku _,"_ a voice rose from the audience. It was one of the younger Elders. "Concede this match before you lose too much blood. This is no longer proving to be a beneficial fight for us."

Miatku snapped towards the younger Elder. " _Silence, Dokumara."_

" _This fight won't end until he dies."_

 _A_ steady murmur of whispers amongst the tribe broke out. Hakkaku, Ginta, and a few other warriors stepped out across the imaginary barrier between the fight and the crowd. Kouga looked out to his comrades as they entered the fighting ring. Kouga cocked his head in question. He didn't want them involved. _"This is a fight between me and Miatku. Stay away."_

"There seems to be a disagreement between the Elders, this is no longer a sudden death fight between two leaders. We're here to serve you and stand by your side." Hakkaku proclaimed as he yelled up to his Prince. At the sight of their comrades joining their leader, more tribe members pushed through to join the fight.

"This is the way of the wolf. Together we fight. Together we die." An older Northern tribe member by the name of Koutsu held his sword pointed at the Elder. "It's time for a new way to lead, no more Elders telling me what to do. I pledge my allegiance to Kouga, King of the Eastern Mountains."

Kouga was taken back by the title and devotion, but his pride swelled as his tribe came together to stand beside him as their rightful leader. If he died, they would follow.

 _"_ _Insolence! You wouldn't be here if it weren't for myself and the Elders."_ The Elders looked amongst one another as Miatku tried to diminish the riot of wolf demons before him.

 _A_ female wolf demon piped up as soon as Miatku finished that sentence. "Wasn't it you who told my mate to go off to war with the Northern tribe to Naraku's castle? You sent the man to his grave, leaving me with two pups to look after on my own. I never received sympathy or help from you after I approached you for help. You told me that it was the price to pay as war is war and I needed to step up to contribute to the tribe. It was Kouga who granted me safe passage into his tribe where he had other families helping me while I raised my children. Not you. _You_ caused me more pain!"

"See. What has the Elders ever done for us? Can you remember anything good that came out of their existence?"

"Your patriarchy has ended with us. We don't need you looking down your nose at us to show us that we are insignificant and smaller than you. We are much more than your underlings to govern over." Ginta pointed his finger up at Miatku. Miatku roared at the slew of demons from the Eastern Tribe.

 _"You defy the order of the Elders and the Order of Tribes. You are all banished from the Order."_ The Elders were now standing behind Miatku as he spoke harshly to the tribe.

 _"Now, now. Don't get political with us, Miatku. It's us banishing you all from our lands. There's no rule saying you can banish us as a tribe. If you don't notice, there are a lot of members representing other tribes in my pack. We have ambassadors of North, West, and South all present. So collectively. We are ending your ridiculous reign of governance over us. My people answer to me, they put their trust in me."_

 _"This is an outrage!"_ Miatku paced in front of the entire tribe.

 _"You're outnumbered 300 to 4. I'd like to see you try and stop this. Your banishment starts now, you must leave immediately or face the wrath of the tribe."_ Kouga announced clearly while looking at each Elder in the eye. The other Elders growled in protest, but knew that this arrangement and situation was not favourable in the least. One Elder closer in age to Miatku walked calmly to the transformed wolf. "We are leaving this land. You can either join us or stay to fight, but we vote to leave and majority rules. You can leave the order of Elders and fight or leave as the leader of the Order. We will negotiate with the other tribes to go to war with the Eastern Tribe. This is not over."

Miatku considered this for a moment before addressing the Eastern tribe and their self-proclaimed King. _"Let me leave you all with this. You might have the numbers for now, but we will be back the next full moon and if you, Kouga, do not step down and give your life over to the Order. We will be at war, and will destroy every last one of you for going rogue. We'll see what your **King** will do for you when you're begging us for mercy." _As he finished he turned his back and ran off with the rest of the Elders.

The threat weighed heavy amongst the tribe. They all looked around at each other, but the victory of standing up to them after centuries of the order suffocating their tribe was a reason to celebrate an intense and unexpected achievement. Kouga on the other hand, transformed back into his humanoid form. He looked at his right-hand men Ginta and Hakkaku and spoke in hushed tones towards them. Ginta and Hakkaku understood Kouga's orders as they made off to gather the tribe ambassadors to leave immediately for the Northern, and Southern tribe.

Ginta and the Southern Tribe ambassador transformed into their demonoid forms and ran off towards the South, meanwhile Hakkaku teamed with the Western Tribe ambassador and followed suit towards the West. Meanwhile Kouga left the North to himself. He knew that the Elders were headed back to the Northern tribe and he had to make it there before they did. The Northern tribe was a difficult pack to persuade as they were always under the guidance and close scrutiny of the Elders. Kouga shouted out to Koutsu, the demon who proclaimed him as King. "Koutsu you're with me. Adamara, we're heading back North." Koutsu bowed to the one he called King, and Adamara raised her head in acknowledgement. She had noticed the other ambassadors take their leave with two of Kouga's men, she only had to wait until her King gave her the orders. This was not going to be an easy task convincing her tribe of the new developments between the Eastern tribe and the Elders. She would do what it takes come hell or high water.

They three transformed into larger wolves and took off into the snowy night following the faint footprints of the Elders. They would need to cover a lot of ground to catch up and beat them to the Northern Tribe. Kouga looked back into the direction Kagome and her pack left earlier. He could only hope that she wasn't out in this storm.

* * *

Inuyasha had exhausted his legs in the journey back to the village but he managed to cut the time more than half to Kaede's hut. He reached the hut, now covered in light snow. The hut was dark, indicating that Kaede had fallen asleep. Inuyasha rushed into the hut unannounced. He gently lay Kagome down against the far wall, and moved towards Kaede's sleeping form. "Kaede, wake up!" Inuyasha shook the old woman's shoulder to rouse her from her slumber.

Kaede startled awake, and yelled in terror as a dark figure hovered over her. "Begone demon!" Inuyasha held his hands up in defence as Kaede grabbed the front of his robe.

"Kaede it's me! Kagome is here too, but she needs your help." Inuyasha reasoned with the sleep-deprived and anxious priestess.

"Oh, Inuyasha. Ye trying to give me an early death. Ye could have knocked. I cannot see ye in the dark." Inuyasha as usual keh'd in response.

"Hurry and help Kagome. I think she's suffering from using too much of her spiritual power, and she's probably sick from the weather."

Kaede quickly re-ignited the fire in the middle of the room. Once lit, she could make out the figure lying across the floor near the wall. "Inuyasha bring Kagome to this mat. Lay her body here and I will examine her." Inuyasha did as he was told, picking up Kagome and hopping back over to the mat while placing the young girl on the mat. Kaede put a hand on Kagome's head and started feeling around for any possible internal injuries. She analyzed the girl's spiritual power by placing her hands over her torso and then to her arms.

Kaede got up to fetch some herbs from the pots lining the opposite wall on the other side of the room. Inuyasha grew impatient at the older priestess' silence.

"Well is she ok? Can you do anything for her? What's wrong with, Kagome?" Inuyasha looked at Kaede who was now grounding up the herbs into a smaller bowl.

"Inuyasha she is suffering from energy depletion, and has succumbed to the weather. Kagome will need all the rest she can get. All I am able to do is make a tonic that she will need to drink to help with the fever and loss of energy. The rest is up to her."

"What do you mean the rest is up to her?" Inuyasha pondered.

"When a spiritual being depletes their ki they lie dormant, until all their energy reserves are fully restored. Kagome is lucky she is not dead. Most often when this sort of thing happens, the person will lie in a coma until they find their way back. Kagome still has energy within her, but not much. It will take some time to regain her strength. Until then she must remain here with me, and ye must sleep elsewhere. Her spiritual energy will not be restored if ye are in the room. Ye demonic energy will stifle her progress."

Inuyasha was about to protest, he wasn't ready to leave her yet. However Kaede gave him a look when he was about to open his mouth. "Feh. Just make sure she comes back to us, Kaede."

"I will do everything I can, Inuyasha." Kaede opened the cloth covering the door to let Inuyasha take his leave.

"That's all I'm asking" Inuyasha nodded, and made his leave with as much will power as he could muster.

* * *

With Kagome, she could see everything that was happening around her with very little in the way of control. She was aware of her surroundings from the moment she fell unconscious to the moment Inuyasha had brought her here. She couldn't feel or speak in this dimension of consciousness. No matter how much she tried, she couldn't stir herself awake. For the past four hours she had realized a soft hum. The hum was somewhat soft in the beginning, but now it was getting so loud she couldn't focus on what was being said between Inuyasha and Kaede.

The hum began to grow now until she felt vibrations shake the room. The hut began to fall apart around her. She spun around to see if Kaede was alright, but the older woman had vanished in thin air. Gone from this realm. Kagome closed her eyes, frightened of what would become of her. The humming and vibrations ceased and a bright light flashed. Through closed eyes she could tell that something was shining bright in front of her. Shielding her eyes from the light source, Kagome gradually opened her eyes to see what waited for her.

Her eyes took in the scene. She was amazed, and uncertain. She was kneeling beside the bone eater's well with her hands touching her cheeks. A soft pink glow encased the figure standing in front of her. It was Midoriko in the flesh.

"This can't be..." Kagome said without realizing she had spoken her thoughts.

Midoriko chuckled at the girl's expression. "I've been waiting a long time to meet you in person, Kagome Higurashi."

"Midoriko." Kagome was at a loss for words. How could this be happening? She had to be in a dream.

"This is as real as it can be, my dear. I wish this was under better circumstances that I meet you. I see you've run yourself low on spiritual energy. We have but mere minutes to discuss a few things I'm sure you are quite aware of thanks to my subordinate, Kiori Sudaka." Midoriko held out a hand to Kagome so that she was no longer sitting on the ground.

"Kiori Sudaka? I've never met such a person." Kagome blinked her eyes in confusion and thought about Midoriko's words. What was she supposed to be aware about?

"It's because she is't a person, but a spirit of my past." Midoriko explained seeing the confusion remaining in Kagome's eyes. "Kiori, was from my time before I time travelled to the Heain era. She was my companion and student."

"Time traveled? You time traveled? Did you use the well too?" Kagome couldn't believe what she was hearing. Maybe the reason she could time travel was because she was the reincarnation of Midoriko.

"I did. I was born an orphan in 1927, and I was sixteen when I first travelled back in time through an old fireplace. Although, I didn't know my purpose at first, I happened upon a Miko training temple in the South where the High Priestesses took care of me. I didn't have a family in the modern era at the time, and so as I travelled back and forth I found myself staying for long periods of time in the Heain era. The era was rife with problems, and while world war two was ongoing I found that escaping to a different time was just what I needed. Much of the foster children I lived with were being adopted into families that would take care of them. I was not among the children to be adopted, and neither was Kiori. Kiori would accompany me on travels as she was only able to time travel by holding my hand. One day I had left without her to help some villagers fend off a horde of demons. I tried to go through the cave I could time travel through, but it had lost its power to send me to the future. I was forever trapped in the Heain Era. Later I found out through meeting Kiori's spirit about the bomb that hit Hiroshima, which unfortunately was where the orphanage was located. I believe things happen for a reason, Kagome. I cried for weeks not being able to go back to my own era, and missed my best friend, Kiori very much. I didn't sleep for a week and ate very little, but it was that moment that I had passed out when Kiori visited my dreams and told me of the bombing. She had died in her sleep at the orphanage, unaware of the pain. The fireplace had disintegrated in the blast, and with that so were my time travelling days."

"That's horrible, I'm so sorry. You were very fortunate to have escaped that terrible fate. I can't imagine how hard that must have been to lose your best friend in such a short amount of time."

"Thank you, it was hard. After all these years, I still remember the heartbreak. I realized that my destiny was much greater than the era I was born into. I never felt right in those days, always felt like something was ultimately missing." Midoriko's gaze remained solemn until she snapped out of her thoughts and remembered that she had little time to waste.

"Ah, we have no time to waste now. Kagome hold onto my hand, we are going to visit an old friend. Her name is Lady Giya. You will need her help to get you back to your friends."

"What do you mean? Can't I get back myself?" Kagome questioned with uncertainty laced in her voice. She felt small next to this woman warrior. She heard countless tales, fantasized of one day having her strength, learned about being her reincarnation, but standing before her now was like she was standing next to the moon itself. How could she ever amount to being like her? Kagome hesitantly grasped the older woman's hand, and Midoriko firmly curled her fingers around Kagome's hand.

"You don't have a full soul. You will need the help to regain your consciousness. I must warn you the next time you use that much power, you will die. You must promise me you will do as Lady Giya says no matter what. She will challenge you, and push you to change and become stronger. This is what you need to focus on, Kagome. Do not overstrain your powers, but instead focus on training your body to keep up with your blossoming spiritual energy. You are becoming mature now, and so are your powers. You must learn to harness and control these powers before they consume and kill you."

Kagome was bewildered beyond her reckoning. Her powers were becoming stronger and too much to handle she already could feel that, but she didn't know that it was as serious as Midoriko claimed. "Alright, I'll do what this Lady Giya says."

"Excellent, now whatever you do don't let go go my hand." As Kagome nodded earnestly, Midoriko's aura encased them both and they started to fade as they were travelling to a different location.

Kagome looked around her as Midoriko's power danced around them. The purple aura tickled Kagome's skin and was warm to the touch. It almost felt like her energy, but it was ten times stronger. The aura felt a bit suffocating the longer she stayed in it with Midoriko. As soon as she felt like her breathing was becoming haggard, the aura dispelled and they were in a new place.

"Where are we?" Kagome's eyes took in the scenery. They were in a foggy and rocky terrain surrounded by heavy mist cascading down the mountain walls that were surrounding them on either side.

"We are in the Misty Valley. This is where we will find the entrance to the Miko Temple where I once lived." Midoriko let go of Kagome's hand and took the lead in front. "Let's hurry along, Kagome. Just follow me and don't wander off. It's easy to get lost in the mist."

Kagome nodded in affirmation. "Okay." They walked for what felt like ten minutes and then Midoriko paused her footsteps as they both reached a dead end. The wall of the mountain had small, intricate engravings carved into the surface. Symbols were written strategically in a line, but then wandered into design that swirled in vine like patterns. Kagome was about to say something to Midoriko when Midoriko broke the silence and put a hand up to the first symbol and began to hum. The tune she hummed was a haunting but beautiful melody with variety of high and low notes.

The symbols lit up like light bulbs as Midoriko hummed the secret tune. As the song came to an end, there was a crack in the face of the wall, and a small crevice appeared before them. The crevice was just big enough for both of them to pass through but it was a tight fit. Kagome moved sideways and slowly through the space, they were travelling through the mountain and it was damp and dark. Midoriko sensed Kagome's cautious movements and blazed her powers in her hands for light. Kagome felt relieved now that she could see her feet and what was in front of her.

Again they walked on, it seemed like they were climbing through the mountain as the pressure built up in Kagome's ears. Midoriko smiled reassuringly back at Kagome, "You must know from that book you have what's to come and that you are my reincarnation."

Kagome was stunned yet again at the comment. "How did you know? I mean yes I do know this, but I don't know what that means or how that is even possible."

Midoriko chuckled lightly. "There are many mysteries in this life, but some things just happen for a reason. When I died, you weren't reincarnated right away. My soul lived on in the Jewel as it still does, but before I died I made a request to the jewel. I had requested that the jewel be kept in the cave I time travelled through...over time the villagers felt like the jewel was beckoning demons to the area, and they needed to be rid of the amount of demons that were attacking the village. The jewel was then bequeathed to Kikyo a very reliable Miko, but not emotionally strong. So naturally, demons were drawn to the jewel's power and sought after Kikyo. After Kikyo died, she made a wish to me. I heard her plea for the jewel to leave this world and to be hidden from evil." Midoriko shook her head. "She had made the wrong wish, and then when you were born her wish had been granted. The jewel needed a spiritual being to keep it in dormancy for fifteen years. The jewel is not meant to lie dormant for too long. It had sought to return to feudal Japan, and it was by the jewel's doing that portal opened in the Bone Eater's Well between this world and yours. It was because of Kikyo that you were born, and that you became my reincarnation. Don't fret though, your existence isn't just based on the jewel...it goes further than that. Oh yes you have a destiny to fulfill and only you can see it through."

"The book didn't mention the dormancy thing or anything really about Kikyo's wish." Kagome said incredulously as she huffed on that note.

"It's because no one knew except me. Kikyo's wish was a dying wish; it wasn't audible." Midoriko surmised. "Aside from this...

For the past two years you have been using your spiritual powers, and now they are peaking past what your body can handle. I was lucky that I had stumbled upon this place when I had first travelled in time so that I was consistently training my powers. You, on the other hand, will need to back track to learn the way of the Miko. You won't like it, and your body will be tested to endure the training to make you stronger." Midoriko paused before going onto a more grim tone. "That book is accurate in the way the battle was planned out. These Mikos will teach you strategy and attacks to use against your opponents. As for how you plan to fight with Naraku on your own, you will need me to teach you that. But first, learn the basics and then I will come to you at a later time when you prove that you are ready to take the next step. Alas, we have arrived to the temple. I will let you enter first to make your presence known."

Kagome stepped out anxiously past the older, more experienced Miko and found herself in an empty courtyard of an ancient temple. She looked behind her and Midoriko was gone. She was alone. Kagome thought over what Midoriko said, that she had to make her presence known.

"Uh, hello? My name is Kagome Higurashi...I'm hear to see Lady Giya..." Kagome looked around to see if anyone would answer her and come out of the courtyard. She received no answer. "Hello? Is anyone there. My name is Kagome and I'm-" before Kagome could say another word an arrow flew past her and knocked the side of her cheek.

"We heard you girl, but that doesn't gain you entrance to the temple. How is it that you were able to enter the mountain?" The voice questioned adamantly.

"I-" Kagome was unsure of how to answer. Was she in another state of her mind or in real life? Speaking with Midoriko and travelling to the Misty Valley could have been all in her head.

"Speak true, girl or lose your life whilst singing your lie."

"I am here to speak to Lady Giya, and I came here to seek help. My spiritual powers are dangerously low and I don't have a complete soul. Please I need your help, if I don't get help I will die. My body is lying comatose in a hut, please you must help me."

A figure appeared before Kagome. The person was dressed in traditional miko garbs like Kikyo, but wore a cloak over their head. The figure held a bow and arrow in her hand. "Who are you? How did you come here? Your powers lack recognition and proper training. If you do not answer what we ask, we will kill you."

"I already told you my name is Kagome Higurashi. I am a miko like yourself," Kagome could see the figure prepare her bow and arrow as Kagome's time was coming to an end. But Kagome felt desperate and hoped to bank on the statement she was ready to unleash. " And I am the reincarnation of Midoriko."

"Wh-what did you say?" The figure walked closer now, loosening the string on the bow. "That is not possible. Midoriko's soul still lives on in the jewel, she cannot have a reincarnation. Hold out your hand, let me see your soul."

Kagome did what she was told, knowing full well that this person would likely kill her if she didn't oblige. As the figure came closer, she noticed that she was blind. Her vacant eyes stared forward but she had accurate awareness of her surroundings as she took Kagome's hand without needing to fish around looking for the appendage. The figure took a moment to search for Kagome's soul as weak as it was. Kagome forced away shivers as a crawling feeling crept through her body. It felt close to the same sensation as that moment when Naraku's abominable infant had searched for the speck of darkness in her soul. "Ah there it is, your soul is there and hanging on by a mere hour. It seems you do share a connection to Midoriko and that her soul was in contact with you mere minutes ago. Remarkable."

Kagome waited for the figure to let go of her hand, but she didn't. Instead she held the hand and let her cloak drop from her head. The woman had long black curly hair pinned back into a low ponytail. "My name is Rossi, I am Lady Giya's ward. She will see you now."

As fast as that sentence finished, Rossi released Kagome's hand and began walking back from whence she came, with Kagome following closely behind. Kagome and Rossi walked through the courtyard and passed ponds filled with orange and white koi and cat fish. Frogs jumped onto lily pads that floated seamlessly on the surface.

When they had reached a white bridge, Kagome noticed another person on the other side. The individual sat below a cherry blossom tree with legs crossed and hands placed gracefully in their lap.

"M'lady. The reincarnation of Midoriko has arrived...as you foretold." Rossi bowed deeply in respect for the older woman.

"I see, well this is a disappointing sight. My vision foretold of a young, fit woman with powers matching that of the great Midoriko herself. All I see is a scrawny girl with a broken soul."

Kagome felt anger bubble at the audacity of this woman sizing her up on just meeting her. The lady pulled her grey long hair into a low bun at the back of her head. Her eyes opened to reveal bright blue orbs carelessly staring back at Kagome.

"You're dying and you need my help...I get it. Well you want my advice? You better shape up and learn how to use those powers of yours before you kill yourself." As the woman was moving to get up from her spot, Kagome half expected her to get up slowly from old age. However the old woman seemed to have no trouble getting up from her meditation spot. She moved like she was still in her prime.

Kagome resisted the urge to argue with this woman as Midoriko said to do what she's told no matter what. "I understand I'm not what you expected, but I have less than an hour to live. Can you help me find my way back to consciousness?"

Lady Giya now looked Kagome square in the eye with so much intensity it felt like her soul was once again being searched through.

"Oh, I'll help you, but on one condition." The lady closed her eyes again. "You must journey back to this temple by yourself to train for two months. I don't idly help people without a little commitment in return. You want to become stronger, it can't happen in one day."

Kagome weighed this condition in her head. Two months was a bit too much time to commit when the battle was not too far away. How was she supposed to prepare with only a couple weeks left before the battle? She would have to either leave before the two months, or finish whatever training in a one month span.

"Well, what's it going to be girl? You're short on time here." Lady Giya impatiently prodded.

Kagome sighed. "Fine. I will return when I return to my conscious state." Lady Giya smiled, and began to walk past Kagome. In passing Lady Giya looked to Kagome and replied with, "good."

"Now.. Kagome, is it? Follow me, we will be going inside to the meditation room to locate where your body is." Lady Giya turned her back and motioned for Rossi and Kagome to follow suit. "Walk quickly, meditation for you at this stage is not going to be easy."

* * *

Inuyasha had grown impatient as Kagome's breathing laboured on and her fever was getting worse. Kaede was looking very grim now at the chances of Kagome ever being able to come back on her own. He couldn't stand sitting by Kagome's side and not being able to do anything while she was suffering.

"Come on Kaede, can't you do anything more for her?" Inuyasha didn't care if he took out his frustration on the older woman, this was serious. If her fever doesn't go away her heart will fail.

"Inuyasha, I am doing everything I can. Her energy isn't responding to mine. It would have if she had her entire soul, but it is in Kikyo's hands and ye would have to fight Kikyo to save Kagome." Kaede didn't look at Inuyasha as she mentioned her older sister and his former lover. She heard a rustle of fabric, and when she looked at Inuyasha he had got up from his spot beside Kagome and started walking towards the door.

"Kaede don't let her die on me. I'll be back." With that, Inuyasha sprung through the mat covered door and left with no other word to say. Kaede only looked on in shock. Was he really going to fight Kikyo to get the rest of Kagome's soul returned to her. She took a look at Kagome wondering how far Inuyasha would go to save her. She didn't like seeing the young priestess fighting for her life, but her odds were not very high as time kept slipping away from them.

Kaede heard a commotion outside suddenly. She could see Miroku, Sango, Kirara, and Shippo arrive as they wonder where Inuyasha was going in such a rush without Kagome. Shippo bounded towards her hut and she took a step away from the door.

"Kagome?!" Shippo had fear struck in his face after watching Inuyasha dash into the forest without a glance towards them. "Kaede, what's going to happen to Kagome. She doesn't look good."

"Aye, Shippo. Kagome is fighting for her life now. I've done as much as I could, we just need to try and keep her fever from rising while she works on getting herself back to us." Shippo walked slowly to Kagome, he could smell her sickness in the air of the hut. It was a heavy scent of despair he couldn't bear to see her in such a state. Shippo stopped just before Kagome's head and curled up beside her with tears in his aquamarine eyes. "Don't leave me.."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7: Recognition**

Inuyasha didn't know what to do. He didn't even know where Kikyo was, for all he knew she was on the other side of Japan. All he could hear in his head were the ragged breaths of Kagome lungs trying to sustain the struggle of keeping herself alive. He had seen her in rough shape before, the moment she had stopped breathing in the blazing hut along with the rest of his friends. That was the bastard Renkotsu and Mukotsu who almost killed them. This time he can't save her...this was something that was out of everyone's hands. He reached the Goshinboku tree and stopped before it, thinking of the time he was pinned to it for 50 years and the girl who released him from his curse.

"Inuyasha. I figured you would be here at the tree I pinned you to for 50 years." Kikyo's melancholy voice broke his train of thought. He quickly turned around to look at her. She had her bow and arrows slung over her back. She was not going to attack him anytime soon. "I can feel Kagome's soul. She is in great despair it would seem."

"You can feel her in pain?" Inuyasha asked incredulously. "She's dying because she doesn't have the rest of her soul."

"It would seem so. It's unfortunate." Kikyo replied nonchalantly. Her care for the girl was very little if any. Inuyasha didn't like how she was talking about Kagome.

"You won't even help her?" Inuyasha looked up with serious eyes. "You're that heartless inside that you wouldn't help the girl who saved your life after Naraku threw you over the cliff?"

"If I save her, I die." Kikyo's words were tinted with hatred. "She wouldn't be in this mess, if she weren't so weak. How does it feel to lose someone you care about again? Feeling utterly hopeless right now don't you? You couldn't save me, just like you can't save her now."

"That's not true! Dammit, Kikyo!" Inuyasha balled his fist. He wouldn't listen to any of this. He had to reason with Kikyo to help Kagome.

"If you can feel her pain, what is she thinking? Is she trying to get back?" Inuyasha asked impatiently. Trying for any sort of information that would possibly help Kagome.

"As time goes by her soul beckons more to be reunited with its other half. She is far away now, out of reach. I did feel a very strange aura connect with her little bit of a soul about an hour ago. It was strong enough to possibly make her conscious, but it's too bad Kagome doesn't know how to use her powers properly. She should have stayed in her own time like she was supposed to. She doesn't belong here. She has only brought ruin and chaos to this era."

"Shut up." Inuyasha's head was cast down. "Kagome hasn't brought any ruin here. Kagome has helped more people here than I can count."

"If that's true why are there shards scattered across the land? Why are there more demons at large and attacking villagers? Why has Naraku been able to grow so powerful?" Kikyo argued, she was not happy that Inuyasha was taking the young Miko's side in all of this.

"Kagome released me from that curse you put me under. You betrayed me. How was it that you lost your faith in me so quickly? It's as if you didn't even know me at all, or like you believed that I would do something so hateful towards you." Inuyasha countered, "Besides, you can thank yourself for making Naraku more powerful. It was you who handed over our half of the jewel to the bastard."

Kikyo had had enough of this. She whipped her hands over her back to reach her bow and arrows. She quickly strung an arrow in the bow, as Inuyasha readied his stance.

"What you're going to curse me again to this tree, Kikyo? If Kagome is going to die, then kill me too while you're at it. Don't you dare curse me, end it now."

Kikyo grimaced at the desperation her former lover demonstrated. She was going to end his misery when a pang in her chest forced her to stop what she was doing. It was the rest of Kagome's soul reacting to the malice Kikyo was feeling. She felt a burning sensation grow in her chest. She dropped to her knees in anguish, holding the part of her chest that was healed by Kagome in that stream long ago.

She peeked down, pulling back her kimono to see the former gash start to open. "How? What is this?" Inuyasha watched in concern, gone was his anger as he watched Kikyo groan from the pain. Her soul collectors were at bay, not knowing what to do. Some of them started circling her anxiously.

"Why? How is this happening. Her soul is forcing its way out." Kikyo tried to put her hand over the opening but an electrical shock forced her hand back.

"Kikyo, give her back her soul." Inuyasha said calmly. "Let her live."

Kikyo looked up at Inuyasha as he said this to her, calculating what she should do. She was becoming paralyzed with pain from the soul trying to depart from her body.

Kikyo closed her eyes in frustration, she would have to part with...but not all of it. Kikyo focused on the orb that was trying to spill out of her wound. She hovered her hand over the wound and tried to close the gap. She only had seconds to do this correctly before the whole soul spilled forth. Inuyasha was going to approach, but she had erected a barrier to stop him from getting to her. Within seconds of her barrier she had almost lost control of the orb. She regained the momentum and quickly closed the gap in the wound. In her hands was a small portion of Kagome's soul.

"You split her soul?" Inuyasha remarked hatefully.

"It will be enough for her to live." Kikyo shot back, she dropped her barrier not being able to keep it up any longer. "Here take it. You wanted it. Take it before I change my mind."

Inuyasha jumped to where Kikyo sat, and grabbed the part of Kagome's soul that Kikyo parted with. "Before you go, Inuyasha. Tell Kagome, that we are even. If she uses up all her power again, I won't bail her out next time. One more thing, if she doesn't get a handle on her powers she will most certainly die."

Inuyasha didn't give Kikyo another glance as he parted ways with her to bring the portion of the soul back to Kagome. "Goodbye, Kikyo."

Kikyo watched him run off away from her. Her soul collectors started bundling around her to fly her to a safer area to rest. She would need about twenty souls now to make up for the loss.

* * *

Kagome was sitting across from Lady Giya as she tried to search for the feel of her soul. Lady Giya was not the most patient woman to work with, as she poked and prodded Kagome to try harder. "We have half an hour before you die, you can't tell me this is all you've got."

Kagome was sweating and exasperated from all the searching and groping around to find her soul. When she had arrived it was so easy for the Miko's to find and sense it. Why is it taking her so long? Wasn't this supposed to be an easy thing to find since she knew her body the best out of anyone?

Lady Giya was about to give up on the girl, when she felt a shift in Kagome's aura. It wasn't Midoriko, but it was Kagome's soul crying out. It was crying out to the other portion to react to something. Kagome felt a pang in her chest as a burning sensation took over. Her hands immediately grasped at her chest.

"What is going on? What did I do?" Kagome choked out in-between sobs of pain. Lady Giya rushed over and put a hand on Kagome and looked at the place where the pain was emanating from her chest. A red scar was blazing.

"Child, when did you acquire this injury?" Lady Giya questioned forcefully.

Kagome sputtered a response. "I never got injured here before."

"Move your hand. Let me see if I can heal you." Lady Giya motioned towards the injury, but as soon as her hands tried to come in contact with Kagome's skin her hands were repelled. Lady Giya's brows furrowed curiously.

"Kagome who has the rest of your soul?" Lady Giya waited for Kagome to force out the words through her excruciating pain.

"Ki-kyo." Lady Giya fell backwards in astonishment. Was it possible that Lady Kikyo was still alive after all this time? This was not good. At any moment Kagome would be dead. She wasn't supposed to be exerting any spiritual power and this pain that was radiating from Kikyo it seemed was taking minutes off of Kagome's life. She had to do something and quick.

"Here lie down carefully. Rossi!" Giya called out to her ward. "Grab me that pot of herbs. Move it." Rossi sprinted to the other side of the room to grab the herbs. "Good. Put it down here, and start grounding the herbs into a thick paste."

As soon as Rossi finished mashing the herbs, Giya swiped the pot away and swooped her index and middle finger into the paste. She then forced Kagome's mouth open and stuck her fingers down the girl's mouth. "Swallow."

Kagome nearly choked from the act and the taste of the putrid she just swallowed. In a minute, Kagome felt like the pain was subsiding by a fraction, and then she felt the exhaustion overcome her. Rossi and Giya steadied the girl as the dizziness was setting in.

Rossi spoke softly to Giya. "She's not going to be able to get back if she falls unconscious now."

"She's been overthinking, I think it will work if she is relaxed." Giya kept her hand firmly underneath her chin contemplating whether this girl that she had just met will be able to find her way back.

It was then that Kagome's body and aura started fading away, and Rossi jumped to Kagome's side scared that the girl was dying and being erased from existence.

"Rossi." Lady Giya put a hand on her ward to calm her down. "She's located it, it worked." Rossi sputtered as she felt Kagome's spirit slip away from them.

...

Kagome felt like she was floating. She was stuck in time back in Kaede's village. A strong pull urged her to go towards the forest, so she followed the magnitude of the force driving her out from the path and into the forest. As she proceeded, she could feel something swirl inside her in reaction to getting closer. Her hands were getting warmer by the second, and so was the swirl. She looked down and noticed a white glow spread over her hands and up her wrists. A second later, a figure broke through the trees in a red outfit. It was Inuyasha. She looked on, and yelled out to him, but he didn't see or hear her. Was she still stuck in her mind?

He breezed past her and as if the centre of gravity was him, she was now being dragged towards him as he ran with demonic speed back towards the village. Her legs couldn't keep up with his pace, and she ended up being lifted into the air. She was flying and getting closer to Inuyasha. She crept closer now, at his side floating by his side as he ran. She looked at his face, the seriousness and and fear all mixed in one. There were times where she's seen the exact look on his face. Most of the time it was when Kikyo was in danger.

She glanced down but paused in doing so as she noticed what was clutched in his clawed hand. Illuminated in his hand was a soul. Something told her that it was hers. How else was she being drawn like a magnet to him?

Kagome's eyes softened, _'He went to Kikyo and asked for my soul.'_ She could have cried. After what they went through, he put aside his fear of losing Kikyo for her. She came first for once.

They were so close to Kaede's hut that when the entered Kagome felt herself blacking out of this reality. She was falling unconscious now as she was ready to go back to her body. Inuyasha confronted Kaede looking from her to Kagome's body resting on the mat he laid her on before he left. He was hesitant on what he would have to do to give Kagome back her soul. He looked to Kaede to guide him in what he needed to do.

Kaede immediately felt the presence of the orb that was emanating from Inuyasha's hand. Kaede knelt to the ground beside Kagome, and pointed to Kagome's chest. "Here. Place the orb over her heart."

Inuyasha walked forward, and mimicked Kaede on the opposite side of Kagome. He looked down at the soul and placed the orb over Kagome's heart. The soul, quickly recognized its owner, and was forcing itself into Kagome's chest back where it belonged. Kagome's body started to shimmer an ethereal, blue glow as her soul was returned to her.

As soon as the glow started to subside, Kagome's breathing became even, and her forehead was no longer glistening in sweat from her fever.

"She will need some time to rest. Her body has gone through quite the ordeal," Kaede remarked as she waited for Inuyasha to follow her out the hut. Inuyasha paid Kaede no mind as he watched over Kagome. Kaede smiled at the sight and took her leave to give him privacy.

His shoulders had slumped in pleasant relief that she was going to be alright. Inuyasha gingerly touched the side of her cheek with his finger as she lay resting on the mat. With all his emotions at the surface, his amber eyes changed to more of a honey tone as he sat there watching her. He brushed away slick strands of hair that stuck to her forehead and picked up the cloth next to the bowl of water. He wrung out the cloth after drenching it in the bowl, and gently patted her forehead to clean any remaining sweat from her face. Having finished this, he threw the cloth to the side and decided to carefully pick her up bridal-style. Inuyasha moved her to the wall of the hut to sit down with her cradled against him. His one hand supported her head against his chest while his other hand wrapped to the small of her back. He was content with having her like this in his arms as she slept. He would watch over her and protect her no matter what happened.

* * *

Kagome slowly opened her eyes to find herself in the arms of her saviour. She rubbed her tired eyes as she got a clear look at Inuyasha as he held her close to him. Her hand was placed on his chest, but she found herself drawing her hand up to the side of his tanned neck. Her thumb ran along his jawline to his chin where she noticed his lips were slightly parted. Kagome then felt two honey orbs gazing down upon her face. Kagome not realizing what she was doing moved her hand to behind Inuyasha's neck and sat up in his lap. She was nose to nose with him as they looked at each other lost in the moment, and a bit delirious from their slumber.

Kagome moved her face closer ever so slightly, her lips feeling his warm tingling breath. Inuyasha's hands moved to her hips as he steadied her in his lap. He closed his eyes and closed the gap as he felt her warm lips against his. Kagome reciprocated as she moved her lips against his. Her hands working their way on either side to cup his face. She could feel his silver hair cascade over her finger tips. Inuyasha deepened the kiss as he pulled her closer to him, loving the taste of her lips and wishing he could taste the cavern of her mouth to see if it was just as sweet as her lips, and if not more.

Kagome felt her body heating up as she felt his hands move against her back. She wanted to stay like this, kissing him for as long as they could. This was the most intimate they had ever been. The most passionate.

"Inuyasha...I. You chose to save me. I saw everything. I saw you and Kikyo...and what you did to save me..." Kagome said breathlessly as she pulled away. Tears brimmed in her eyes. "I'm..I don't know what to say, other than thank you. Thank you for saving me."

Inuyasha's eyes softened as she said all this, but he was a bit startled that she saw what happened between him and Kikyo. "Kagome..I'm glad you're alive. How did you see me talking with Kikyo?"

"I'm not quite sure actually. I remember being dragged towards you and I noticed a soul in your hand. I figured you had asked Kikyo for my soul, but when my soul was returned to me I relived the encounter between you two." Inuyasha nodded his head in understanding.

"I didn't want to lose you. Kikyo, has always been a part of my past, but when she wouldn't give up your soul...it felt like I had been slapped with who she really is in this world. She's not the Kikyo from my past. The Kikyo I knew would have sacrificed her life to save others."

"I'm sorry Inuyasha-" Kagome began to say, but Inuyasha covered his mouth over her lips once more. The kiss was more demanding than the first. He didn't want to think about Kikyo. All he wanted, no, needed, was to kiss the beautiful, lively girl in front of him. Before he could take the passionate kiss to the next level, he heard footsteps approach the hut. He broke the kiss abruptly not sure of how to react to the intruder. Kagome felt confused at the sudden loss of warmth when Inuyasha gently placed her beside him and heard him growl lowly in the back of his throat.

"What ar-" Kagome was about to question his actions when Shippo came bursting through the door. "KAGOME!" It took no time at all for Kagome to feel the little kit bounce over to her and plaster her with hugs. "Oh Kagome! I'm so glad you're ok!" Kagome smiled widely, "Me too Shippo! I'm so happy to see you!" Kagome could feel Shippo bury his head into her stomach. He wasn't going to be moving from the spot in her lap anytime soon, and she could tell Inuyasha was a bit upset at the interruption in their alone time.

"Why does Inuyasha look so sour?" Shippo peeped his eyes over at Inuyasha who was looking down at him in annoyance.

"Oh I think you might have woke him up.." Kagome quickly fibbed, while looking over at the hanyou shrugging her shoulders at the situation.

Inuyasha keh'd as he got up and walked towards the door of the hut. He pulled the mat aside and walked out to get some fresh air. On his way out he saw Sango, Miroku, and Kaede sitting down underneath a tree.

Miroku was the first to spot Inuyasha making his way over. "Ah, Inuyasha how is Kagome? I bet she's feeling a lot better from all that cuddling." Inuyasha blushed and turned his head away from the monk and his chiding.

"You don't know what you're talking about monk. I was just making sure she didn't run a fever lying on the cold floor." Miroku could see through the hanyou's poor defence.

"Oh, I'm sure that's all it was, Inuyasha," Miroku chuckled knowingly. "By the way, you might want to straighten your haori...it's a bit out of place." At the mention of his garments, Inuyasha looked down and found his haori loose and wrinkled in some places, but the knot had become untied in his passionate moment with the young priestess.

Inuyasha grabbed the ties of his haori and straightened the fabric as he walked away, grumbling underneath his breath about nosey good-for-nothing monks.

Miroku only laughed harder when Inuyasha had no comeback to his taunts. "What's wrong with Inuyasha?" Sango questioned as she took this opportunity to jump into the conversation.

"Our friend Inuyasha got quite cozy with Lady Kagome recently. You should have seen his face when I teased him about it," Miroku laughed, but was caught off guard by a stray stone plunking into the side of his head from afar.

"Ow!" Miroku grabbed at the side of his head where the offending stone had connected with his skull. "Hey! Any harder and that would have knocked me out!" Miroku shouted across in the direction where Inuyasha had thrown the rock.

"Keh. Too bad, that's what I was hoping for so you would shut up," Inuyasha yelled back from his perch in the tree. His friends were too nosey for their own good.

Sango inspected the place where the monk was hit as he cradled the side of his head in slight pain. It wasn't long until Sango felt an all too familiar sensation on her rump where the monk's other hand was groping a feel. "Hey, what do ya say, Sango...let's get cozy ourselves."

Sango slapped Miroku on the cheek of the unharmed side of his head, "I'd say you didn't get hit hard enough"

Miroku grasped for his cheek as the sting of Sango's slap tingled his face. He thought he might as well try while they were on the topic.

...

The day had gone by fast as the group stuck to their own routines. After the travel back from the wolf pack they needed some time to regain their energy, especially Kagome.

Kagome had spoken with Kaede for what seemed like hours in discussing the management of her powers and to not over-do her attacks. With a more fully completed soul, Kagome had more ki to spare. She felt livelier and stronger herself, but she knew not to over do it in trying them out until she was one hundred percent back to her usual self. Kagome made sure to mentioned the whole pact with Kouga and that if she noticed more wolf demons in the area she should not to be alarmed.

They had all filed in for dinner as Kaede made her famous rabbit and cabbage stew. It was a nice meal during the beginning of the winter season. As they had their fill, the group made their way to their respective huts to take shelter for the night. It had been some time now since they claimed a place in the village they could call their own. Each person had their own place, and it was by coincidence that they were all beside one another. Inuyasha resided in the furthest hut to the left that was closer to the edge of the village property line and beside a nice tree. Kagome had chosen the hut between his and Sango's, and of course, wherever she went Shippo would follow. Sango and Kirara tagged together in the next hut and the last one that was situated on a diagonal, was Miroku's.

Kagome had changed into a spare flannel set of pajamas that she had kept stored in the hut. Her hut was nothing special. She never really had time to decorate it as the group was always on the move to find more jewel shards.

Shippo had his own little bed next to her sleeping mat. She had made it out of spare pieces of wood from skids and cushions from her home. Shippo the bounciness of his bed as he took a running leap onto the cushions. This hut was their little slice of home. Shippo often dreamed of his own little corner with his toys and art supplies. Maybe when they had more time he would ask Kagome to help him make his kiddy corner.

Kagome tucked Shippo into his bed and kissed him softly on his forehead. Shippo smiled and nuzzled his nose into Kagome's hair as it tickled his skin. He was happy he was by her side. Gripping the corner of the blanket in his hand and curled into a ball and propped his head on the bunched up part of the blanket he held. In no time at all the scent of home lulled him to sleep and Kagome watched him happily fall to sleep.

The wind was picking up speed outside as the mat to the hut was dancing along its breeze. Kagome fastened the ends of the mat to little hooks she had nailed in on either side of the bottom to hold it in place. Soon she would have to get a door to keep the snow and cold out, but that would have to wait until a later date. She would have to return home soon again or else she would get behind in her schooling. Not to mention that modelling position was still on the back burner, but would give her a steady income.

So many events had occurred in such little time. Meeting Midoriko on top of everything...it was too surreal, but not as surreal as her intimate moment with Inuyasha earlier.

She pondered on the taste of the kiss, the feeling of his arms embracing her and his hands resting on her hips. She could only imagine what he was thinking about right now in the hut next to her. Was he still thinking about her and their kiss? She settled for lying down and looking up at the ceiling of the hut. Her tired eyes slowly succumbing to the weight of slumber and the wind hitting against the side of the hut.

...

Inuyasha had his back to the wall that was adjacent to Kagome's hut. He could hear her breaths evening out as she fell asleep. His thoughts raced back to their kiss. He could feel his chest swell with emotion as his heart yearned to touch her again, to feel her small frame against his, and to caress her jaw as he kissed her senselessly. He always had feelings for her, always felt a connection to her spirit. Kikyo was always in his mind, a nagging image of a broken promise and guilt imbued his thoughts and any commitment to Kagome faded. Now that Kikyo had dissolved the mirage he had thought she was...he couldn't sustain reason to follow through in his promise to go to hell, not after all she had put him and Kagome through. It was time to let the past be the past...and allow the present to become his future.

His Kagome. Now sleeping so close yet so far from him, was everything he wanted. It didn't matter all they had disagreed upon in the past week...none of that mattered..although he wanted to know why all the secrecy and half-truths. He would get the answers out of her one way or another, but first he would let her sleep and explore the dreams of the night.

 _His Kagome..._ he would get another moment with her again and hopefully soon rather than later. He didn't know how long he would be able to wait to have a chance alone with her. Especially with their peeping friends always around.

 **November 30 - 8 AM**

There was a bitter cold seeping through the wooden floors of their huts. A brightness illuminated the rooms as their eyes fluttered open. A dusty white blew in underneath the mats. Winter had arrived, and over the night snow had fallen and covered an inch of the ground outside. It was a brisk smell of winter's arrival in the feudal era. One that herald in the beginning of rebirth, as the decay had been covered and the spiny outlines of trees were bare for all to see. Kagome pulled on her dark wash jeans, and a light pink knit sweater. Before heading outside she grabbed her winter army green, grey fur-lined hooded winter jacket and her dark grey boots. She wrapped a dark grey knit scarf around her neck and grabbed her waterproof gloves before trekking out into the soft snow. The temperature had surely dropped overnight and into the morning, as Kagome felt a shiver run up and down her body from the chill.

She knocked on the side of the door to Sango's hut to see if the demon slayer was up and ready for the day. Sango had heard Kagome's call and pulled back the hanging mat to see Kagome all bundled up. Kagome held out a bundle of winter clothing for Sango to wear over her clothes.

"I packed extras for you so you won't be cold." Kagome handed the garments to Sango and Sango accepted, grateful for Kagome's thoughtful gesture.

"Thanks, Kagome-chan! This will definitely make walking outside bearable." Sango pulled each garment apart to see what she was working with. Noticing how Kagome had styled the garments, Sango began to do the same for herself. Once she was ready Kirara, Sango and Kagome left the hut to go see if the others were awake. They weren't sure about what they would do today. Knowing Inuyasha he would most likely want to leave on a moment's notice to search for more shards. They were prepared nonetheless and all Kagome had to do was figure out how long she would be able to stay...by her calculations she only had a few more days left before she needed to be back in her own era...but then there was the obligation she had to Lady Giya.

Kagome noticed Kirara playfully jumping through the soft inch of snow. Shippo followed after the demon neko, laughing as he threw snow up into the air around them. Kagome remembered the time she showed the kit how to build a snowman, and now year after year it was a tradition of theirs to build snowmen that resembled each member of the group. Even Miroku and Sango would join in on the fun. Although, they would have to wait for more heavy snow to come along in order to build snowmen, but until then they enjoyed the crisp smell of winter's arrival.

Kagome moved away from the small group to see Miroku and Inuyasha walking towards them. Kagome noticed she had caught Inuyasha staring at her and he turned his head away with a blush ever so quickly. Her lips formed a small smile, and a blush crept to her cheeks.

"Ah, I see everyone is awake." Miroku nodded to Inuyasha before walking towards everyone else. "Is this a surprise or what?"

"It's nice, but it'll make the journeys a bit shorter again," Sango added.

"We should get moving towards the East. Who knows if this will stick around. It's too early still for it to be a cold winter. We might as well find more shards over the next week while we still have the speed to travel." Inuyasha said in response to Sango.

He wasn't going to let the snow slow them down. It was lucky that Kirara could fly so they didn't have to rely on walking, and he would carry Kagome with him while he runs. It was only the trouble of finding accommodations at night that was the worst. Villages hiked up prices during the winter to travellers for food and shelter. It was the cruelty of the village headmasters that put a price on survival for travel-worn nomads and outsiders. The limit on food supply and empty rooms was a key problem for them when encountering small villages.

"Alright let's pack up our things and head out soon. We don't have time to waste." Miroku looked to Sango and Kagome to see if they were in agreement as well. Sango and Kagome nodded. It was time for them to continue on their search. No more side trips to see old friends and agreements. They had to keep searching and trust that Kouga would uphold his side of the bargain to construct a safe holding.

"Just let me grab my things." Kagome hurriedly spun around to go back into her hut to pick up her bag and weapon. She had to walk to the far side of the hut to grab her stuff where she had placed it the night before. She didn't hear soft footsteps behind her when Inuyasha had followed her inside.

She grabbed the left shoulder strap of the bag, hoisting it over her shoulder while grasping her bow and arrow with her other hand. It was then she noticed a shadow on the wall that she figured out someone was behind her. She turned around alarmingly, only to be pleasantly surprised that it was just Inuyasha. "Inuyasha!" Kagome laughed nervously. "You nearly gave me a heart attack, I didn't know you were behind me there."

"Keh. We got to work on your ability to sense demonic energy." Inuyasha remarked softly, he didn't say it in a patronizing way. It was more of a statement than a criticism. He had a softness to his voice now when he spoke with her. There was no more hiding his feelings. They were there, and she could feel the glow in his eyes darken when he looked at her.

"Inuyasha.." Kagome put her things down. Her hands grabbed the front of his haori as she brought him in to hug her. Kagome wrapped her arms up and over his shoulders. She felt the stretch of the coat material in her arms as she embraced him, and the coat lift up to expose a bit of her sweater. Inuyasha responded with equal enthusiasm, having missed her presence and warmth in his arms.

It wasn't long until he pulled her slightly away from him to look at her. She was looking at him softly with kindness in her eyes. Those eyes that he could get lost in and forget whatever he was thinking about before. Inuyasha bent his head down while lifting her chin to meet her soft, pink lips. Kagome's breath hitched in her throat. She closed her eyes excitedly anticipating the kiss. Inuyasha's forehead pressed against hers, as their breath mingled teasingly in the space between them.

Kagome brought her hand to caress the side of his face along his jawline. He had such a strong, square jaw. She noticed the muscle in his cheek twitch at her touch. Their half-lidded eyes met in greeting and before Kagome knew it she was pressed up against the wall feeling his mouth on hers. His hands gripping her hips steadily. She was surprised by the quick action, but it thrilled her and spiked her adrenaline as he kissed her passionately. Kagome felt adventurous. She pulled him closer to her and lightly grazed his lips with her teeth. This only drove him crazy at the feeling over her nibble. He didn't know what drove him to push her against the wall, trapping her against him and kissing her with the lust and passion he had been wanting since last night. His senses were zoned in on her touches, and her heart beating rapidly. He had to slow down before he found himself doing something else to her. He could feel the heat and tension building. He broke away from the kiss trying to regain control over himself. She was so intoxicating. Irresistible. It was lucky he wore baggy pants so no one would see his arousal, not even Kagome.

Kagome tried grasping for him in a dazed stupor. She didn't want it to end, it was like time stopped. The others had been waiting for some time now, they would be wondering what they were doing.

Inuyasha cleared his throat, "We should..uh, get going." He watched her come back to Earth as their moment had ended and time beckoned them to leave the village.

"...Of course." Kagome picked up her things from where they flopped on the ground when Inuyasha pushed her to the wall. She slung the bag again over her shoulder with bow and arrows in hand. Inuyasha stepped to the side allowing her to walk in front of him. Kagome looked up at him with a slightly reddened lip and stained cheeks, and brushed her hand against his as she walked past him. That simple act brought shivers up his spine, making his head spin. He was in trouble, caught in the throws of temptation and desir _e._ He never felt this way about anyone, nor this attracted to the feeling of herself up against his body. It was too much to bear thinking of carrying her with her scent wafting in his nostrils for the entire trip. It was going to be hell to concentrate on the road ahead without going into the back of his mind and escaping into fantasies of them making out.

They had stepped back outside quickly, not without earning some questioning looks from their friends. "Let's walk it for now." Inuyasha hastily said, not seeing the look of mirth on Miroku's knowing face. Sango was a bit surprised by the hanyou's abrupt decision. Usually he was a running type of guy. Maybe Kagome and him fought quietly for once. While thinking of this Kagome turned to the girl in question noticing a halo of pink stain her cheeks. ' _Is she cold?'_

Kagome averted her gaze from her friends as she tried to recover quickly from her moment of passion with the hanyou. She couldn't believe he snuck in there and stole a long kiss from her before their departure. She could still feel the dizzying spell his kiss left on her mind. Now she would have to stare at his back the whole way, and it was almost cruel that she had to spend a long time of the day just walking and wondering when she will be with him like that again. That was the first time she's ever been kissed like that...not even when she woke up from unconsciousness did she experience something like that. Maybe it was the weather affecting them.

"Kagome?" Shippo peered up at his surrogate mother before jumping into her arms without warning. Kagome snapped out of her thoughts and caught the little kit with both her hands. "Can I crawl into your hood for the trip?"

Kagome smiled warmly, "Of course. Just let me unzip it a bit before you sit in the hood." The hood itself, although fur trimmed, was deep and had a reflective coating inside that would seal in warmth. Shippo waited as Kagome unzipped a portion of her coat to allow for a bit of extra weight to be redistributed to the hood. "Ok, all set." The kitsune bounded over her shoulder and hopped into the comfort of the hooded jacket. Curling his feet underneath him he set his head down on Kagome's shoulder as she walked in pace with the rest of their friends. Wherever they were headed, Kagome knew she would be behind at school and everything would have to be put on hold for the time being. This is how it usually was for her.

* * *

There was a cold chill racing across the surface of the mountains, as a large figure cloaked in ambiguity stepped out through the white-out of a blizzard that surrounded them. They were far in the North shrouded by white glacial walls of hard ice. The figure approached a 15 foot crystallized wall that protruded from the mountain. While walking around the object scrutinizingly, the figure reached into the scabbard that sheathed the sword, held it out with the end pointing to the sky. A black energy fizzled out of the sword slowly, growing thicker and wider consuming the sword from sight. The figure smirked in confidence as the hand that held the sword brought it down and pierced the crystallized object with immense force. A crack shattered the silence as tiny fragments chipped away from the hole the sword made in the facade. Black seeped out of the sword and through the tiny fragments that continued to trail along until the last crack fissured and reached the top. There was a deadly silence. The snow started freezing in place, and an ear-shattering screech rumbled the ground and peaks of the mountains.

Black smoke rose from the object, and it was in that moment that an explosion occurred. A sickening smog of black lapsed in the air like thick ash. A larger silhouette stalked into the thick abyss of ash. Icy blue-purple eyes that resembled the crystal cocoon peered out into the smog. A roar of sinister delight rippled the air as this summoned monster was released into the world again. It's breath ragged and tired, but a laugh tore through it's ugly snout. Five rows of sharp teeth lined the inside of the demon's mouth. Its head becoming more clear now, resembled a dragon, but with an onyx, waxy coating that fit the category of a snake. Very similar to its teeth, five rows of horns spiralled around its head in a clock-wise formation. Each horn had a tip of red, as if poisonous to the touch, and it most likely would be a macabre end to anything that had the unfortunate encounter with this venomous weapon.

"The legendary Youkai of Miomataku." The blizzard had ended now, and no longer concealed the face of the masculine voice that addressed the monster. "What a pleasure it is to release you from your solitary confinement in the Kotoushima Mountains."

"You released the Great Misotaksu, demon. What have you brought as sustenance? I shall devour you if you failed to provide the demon that put me in this damned prison." The demon's eyes narrowed in on the figure before him. He was dressed in all black, top to bottom with purple spiral designs adorning his haori. His black hair was wiry and long and pulled into a half ponytail as his long tresses fell down his back. His red eyes starred on in amusement at this newly summoned demon he released. "I should have known. You're merely a disgusting, half breed. I crave the flesh and innards of the demon that bound me to this prison! I will have my vengeance, and I won't be stalled by the likes of you half blood."

"It will take you some time to find the demon you are looking for...perhaps I can be of assistance instead. What do you say? I supply you with a lead and you spare me with my life?"

"You know of that bastard Inu General? If you tell me where he is, I may decide to spare your life just this once..."

"He was slaughtered long after he imprisoned you, but I know you wouldn't mind killing his two sons. They are the heirs of Inu no Taisho's legacy after all." The half demon's voice was thick and calculating. The traces of a smirk outlined his face. A dimple creased his cheek, and his eyes looked on menacingly. Misotaku grinned mischievously. "The blood of the Inu shall be exterminated by me alone. I will rip through those pups' chests and pull out their guts."

"There's only one problem. You won't succeed in killing them both at the same time. You see...both the brothers carry the swords of their predecessor. One swing from both those swords simultaneously will end your life in seconds. "

"You dare doubt my power. You will pay for uttering those words out of your wretched mouth." Misotaku roared as anger flooded his vision. As he opened his jagged razor-lined mouth, a ball of white light was growing in size and intensity. The red-eyed half demon smiled as if this was exactly how he planned things would go. He looked up to see his minion Kagura and Kanna floating overhead on a white feather. The wind sorceress, Kagura floated the feather down closer to the ground as the smaller, albino child sitting next to her slipped off and landed soundlessly on the snowy ground below. She held her mirror out towards Misotaku emotionlessly as if the appearance of the demon didn't even faze her.

Misotaku haughtily laughed as he was just about to release his weapon of mass destruction. It was a peculiar thing to hear a demon speak without moving a muscle in the mouth. "You shield yourself behind a little demon child. I knew you were worthless, but now this is just pathetic."

"Master Naraku," Kanna's voice was just above a whisper. Her lips were barely moving as she murmured, "Shall we begin?"

"Yes. Let's see if Misotaku remembers how to fight after being trapped in an icicle for a century and a half." Misotaku growled in response to the taunt. He didn't delay his attack now. He had grown the orb to ten times the size and when his eyes rolled back the orb was released towards his target. Wanna anticipated the attack and activated the mirror's absorption power. The beam of light was larger than the width of a giant boulder, but as it flew towards the two, the orb's energy seemed to seep away and fly off in different directions that scorched the surface of the ground and walls of the mountains. The area was lit brightly by the oncoming attack, but when it reached Kanna there was a loud explosion and the blinding light shot upwards into the sky.

Kanna deflected the attack, but something started changing in the attack that had been deflected. The light froze in place, but as Kanna forced the mirror upward, the attack started to gravitate back to the mirror with the speed of light. It was absorbed into the mirror, and as the mirror shook in its hunger for power, it gulped every last bit of energy and ceased its shaking.

"I see you have a Katsukane Mirror. A very rare object that was created by demons like me. It's a shame though,"

"Why do you say that?" Naraku wasn't liking the shift in tone as Misotaku grinned confidently.

"That legendary demon who forged it into weapons was me. I am the Katsukane. An attack that's repelled back to me won't affect me in the slightest"

"Ku ku ku. Oh you are mistaken about what I plan to do with your power in Kanna's mirror." Naraku walked towards the demon child pulling back the sleeve of his haori to reveal tentacles spilling out hungrily. As they grew longer they shot towards Kanna's mirror. Kanna expected her Master's actions, and jolted the mirror to life. The tentacles dipped into the mirror as if it were no more than a porous bowl of water. The veins along the the appendages throbbed as they started absorbing the ki from the previous attack.

"I never intended to kill you. I see us more as potential allies against a common enemy. Now that I have your power I can create it at will, just as you are able to." Naraku pulled the tentacles back as the mirror dulled in brightness. He had absorbed every ounce of ki from the attack. His eyes sharpened with renewed strength. "This is my payment for releasing you. Before I take my leave, I will say this to you. Go to the West and you will find Sesshomaru. He is the eldest son of Inu no Taisho."

"What of the second son?" Misotaku rumbled out impatiently, already more than annoyed that Naraku was using him this entire time for his attacks.

"Kill Sesshomaru and I will tell you where to find the other" Naraku turned to take his leave and before Misotaku could wrap his claws around the spider half demon, Naraku had vanished in a tornado of purple miasma along with Kanna and Kagura.

"That insolent half breed, I will make sure to kill him the next time we meet again." Misotaku growled out. He looked around and decided to concern himself with getting to the Western lands. As far North as he was, it would take only a day's travel to reach the border of the Western lands. He would relish in the feel of Taisho's son's innards dripping in blood from his claws, but first he needed nourishment. He after all, hasn't devoured anything in over 150 years. Climbing up the steep side of the glacier, he used his enhanced vision to source out a village or two nearby. To his satisfaction, he noticed the small plumes of smoke rising out of small huts far down into the distance where the valleys ceased and the tree line separated to make room for the oblong size of a village. He would be feasting handsomely tonight. A roar bellowed out from his mouth, and he laughed in sinister delight to his new found target before he took off to kill his enemy's precious legacy.

* * *

"You're not going to tell him where Inuyasha is are you?" Kagura questioned knowingly. She knew by now that the half dog demon was Naraku's kill and no one else's.

"No," Naraku cast a sideways glare at her. "I have other plans in mind for him." He threw open his sleeve and tossed out a hive of Saimyousho.

"Go find where Inuyasha and his cohort of pathetic humans are," Naraku chuckled deeply. "It's been some time since our last visit." The poisonous wasp flew away in haste as their master commanded. The three retreated into their dark, and toxic hideaway located inside an abandoned, but ransacked castle smeared in the blood of those who presided there once before.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8: Into the Webs of Dreams**

* * *

It was the middle of the day, and the only thing that seemed to change on their journey North was the drop in temperature and depth of snow. It was now freezing weather and they could only go so far for so long. Kagome had pulled Shippo from her hood to the inside of her jacket, and Kirara had transformed to block Sango from the howling wind. In the distance they could see a village with its farmers scavenging whatever crops were left after the morning frost.

"Why don't we stop here, it's going to get dark soon and we've travelled quite a bit since morning." Miroku offered. The village was of average size, with a small bridge connecting the path into the village. There weren't any fortified walls to keep demons or bandits out, but they did have two outposts where a few men were stationed at each.

"I agree. I can feel the temperature dropping, and this wind isn't helping one bit." Sango rubbed the sides of her arms, emphasizing her point. Inuyasha nodded, "alright, let's stop over for today. Any money on you, Miroku?"

"Of course!" Miroku countered.

"I'm starving, let's pick up the pace so we can warm up and eat!" Kagome took up the lead, fuelled by the growing hunger pains in the pit of her stomach.

Everyone smiled, following Kagome's quickened pace. They all couldn't wait to relax and warm their feet and hands from the long journey of the day.

When they reached the bridge, they saw a father and a young boy no older than seven carrying a bushel of sticks. They looked up at the group oddly, as many other village people have done in the past. Not everyone encountered a cohort of humans and demons travelling together peacefully, especially being led by a young, human woman. The boy ran to his father's side apprehensive of the strange group as they passed.

Kagome and Sango offered a warm smile, greeting the anxious family. "Hello!" The smaller boy slowly smiled, realizing that they were friendly. He gave both ladies a toothy smile as he had two missing front teeth. The older man was still skeptical of the group, but smiled seeing his son's happy response to the greeting.

Once they had walked up to the outpost, two village soldiers approached them promptly. "State your business," One rough-looking man with a scruffy beard and moustache said.

Miroku squeezed past the two ladies to speak to the man with fake kindness. "We are just a group of travellers looking for a warm place to stay for the night."

"You're not the first to come here today to ask for boarding, I doubt there's any room left," The other younger soldier piped up as he looked over each of the group members cautiously, noting the half-demon's sword with squinted eyes. Inuyasha didn't pay any attention to the way he was being watched by the younger soldier, he's experienced just about everything with the villagers of this era.

"May we at least ask the housekeeper of your village first?"

"Be our guest...but don't get your hopes up." The gruff voice of the older soldier answered lazily, already knowing that the village was at capacity.

They passed by the guardsmen, regarding each other wearily. Would they have to travel further today to find shelter? Miroku was usually the one who secured them a place to stay using his charming, diplomatic and overly-kind demeanour to win over the hearts and minds of the villagers.

"Don't worry, I'm sure there's gotta be some rooms in this village. Even if it's just two." Miroku rubbed his chin thoughtfully, of course looking back at Sango with mischievous, and perverted thoughts. With the way Inuyasha and Kagome were acting, there's a possibility that they would share a room in the near future.

Sango noticed the monk looking at her in that way she couldn't trust. She stared at him with a dead-pan kind of expression, knowing that he was dreaming up some sort of dirty fantasy about them in that lecherous mind of his. She couldn't deny that she liked him, at least for his other qualities, but it was this lecherous personality that turned her off on him. Like he was trying too hard, and then he would purposely make her jealous by flirting with other village women along their travels. Each encounter made her want to snap, and she couldn't help but get jealous.

"Don't even think about it, monk." Sango's voice turned into a warning and the monk sheepishly turned around holding the back of his head.

"I have no idea what you're talking about dear Sango," Miroku chuckled in defence. Kagome shook her head at the monk, wondering when he would confess his feelings to Sango.

They arrived at the boarding house where weary travellers come to rest. There was a curvy woman manning the front entrance and as soon as they walked in the door she motioned for them to turn around. "We have no rooms left," The woman had dark brown hair with fringed bangs covering her forehead landing softly against her brows. Her eyes were a striking powder blue against pale skin.

Miroku dashingly smiled at her, "M'lady, what a beautiful face of radiance you have. I'm so sorry to hear there are no rooms left. You see my friends and I have been travelling from the East and have walked all this way...are you sure there are no rooms in this village where we may stay?"

Sango rolled her eyes, and made a huffing noise in contempt at the whole display. She knew he was faking it, and it wasn't real, but it still bothered her nonetheless.

The young lady blushed at the compliment, sputtering to respond. "Um, well..I." She bashfully looked down to the floor. "I'm sorry kind monk, but we've been accepting travellers far and wide today and cannot offer any rooms at this time."

"My goodness!" Miroku took a dramatic step back in haste. "There is an evil presence in this room." The young woman gasped, believing every word Miroku was spouting out. "We must vanquish the demonic energy here!"

"Oh no! Please master monk, slay the demon! I must go get the master host" Without hesitation, the young girl pulled back one of the shoji doors separating the entrance from the main hall to fetch the master host of the cabin.

The master host ran in haste out of the shoji door and bowed in greeting to the monk. He was short and bald with small beady eyes. He wore a white haori with black pants. "Shirina mentioned that you have sensed a great demonic presence here! Please monk, I will give you my quarters to stay the night if you vanquish this evil! I cannot have my guests harmed by this demon!" The host bowed profusely to the monk.

Miroku faked smiled at the host as he put a hand on the man's shoulder. "It will be a few minutes, but I'm afraid my exorcism is performed best when I have eaten a nice meal."

"Of course! Of course. Well Shirina don't just stand there, go start dinner for these folks! We can't waste a second more." The master host shooed the younger girl away. "My name is Ruroki. If you need anything, anything at all I will be happy to provide it."

"Why thank you, Ruroki-san. My friends and I are thankful for your generosity." After exchanging a few more pleasantries with the man, they followed Ruroki through the doors Shirina had opened to the main hallway. Ruroki guided them through hallway after hallways until they had arrived at a larger room with cushions placed in a square formation. "This is the dining area, please sit and Shirina will have your food ready in a moment."

"Many thanks," Miroku replied. When Ruroki left the room, everyone glared at Miroku for again deceiving the host of the village.

"Really Miroku, how many times do we have to go through this? It's only a matter of time before all the villages catch on to your schemes." Inuyasha remarked pulling his hands into his sleeves as he sat down with crossed legs.

"By that time I'll be six feet under," Miroku shrugged, this didn't bother him in the slightest and everyone just sighed in silent embarrassment that they have to resort to these measures.

"Possibly from all the village housekeepers ganging up on you in anger." Sango mocked.

"And this is why I have friends like you to stick up for me." Miroku laughed. "If it weren't for me and my dashingly handsome smile, we would be all huddled up by a fire in the cold trying to survive the night."

"I really need to buy a thermal tent from my time." Everyone looked at Kagome with questioning looks. "What's a tent?" Shippo asked with bright eyes.

"It's a type of shelter made out of tough, water-proof material that you can sleep in outside. The thermal part of it keeps the warmth inside and the cold out. They are very expensive though, but it could work for us in the winter. I need to go home anyway after this trip. I'll see if I can get one somehow." Kagome explained, thinking about all the things she had to do and to catch up on in the modern era.

The group pondered the information, understanding the purpose and description of this contraption she had described to them. "That would indeed be a useful thing to have for us," Sango thought aloud. Then she wouldn't have to sit through the monk's fake compliments and deceptive tricks every night.

Without any warning, Shirina had half walked and jogged into the room carrying many bowls of rice from her hands to her arms. She set them down in front of each of the visitors and ran back to the door she came from to grab more food. When she came back, she had brought steamed fish and a bottle of sake for the group.

"Master Ruroki wants to express his gratitude for agreeing to vanquish the evil. He reminds you that after you have eaten he will join you to see you exorcize the demon from our house."

"Of course, thank you beautiful, Shirina-san." Miroku grabbed her hands in his, and looked deeply into her eyes. "Shirina, you have done a great service to us tonight in preparing this wonderful meal, may I ask you to bear my children?" Shirina's face grew fifteen shades of red at the declaration. "Oh monk! I would, but I'm afraid your lady friend doesn't look to pleased with you. Might you ask her instead perhaps?" As if seeing the murderous glare in Sango's eyes, Miroku had sunk back to the floor defeated.

Sango paled at the girl's request. "I'm not mad! I'm..just. We aren't together," Sango sputtered out a reply all too quickly. She felt embarrassed as everyone's eyes were on her now. She huffed, turned around and left to give herself some space. Kirara had mewed softly as she dashed off after her friend. Kagome's eyes softened, but then turned icy towards the monk. "I think I will leave now, I seemed to have caused a problem here," Shirina retreated back into the kitchen, and left everyone to deal with the situation.

"Why do you do that?" Kagome interrogated. Miroku looked at Kagome frowning as he knew that he had made Sango upset once again. She was right, it wasn't as if they were together. He was free to choose whom he wanted to be with, but he couldn't deny the feelings for her at the same time. She's just not as receptive to his advances as the other women, and it's foreign territory for him to be rejected.

"We aren't together," Miroku softly replied.

"You know, I'm going to say this as a woman and friend, and please listen to what I have to say," Kagome started. "There's only so much a girl can take until she gets fed up with your antics. You can't keep this up and think she will fall for you someday. It's been what? Two years of this ridiculous pattern of hot and cold. Put yourself in Sango's shoes. How do you think she feels when you give her attention like that and make advances, only to turn around and do the same to other women?" With that said, Kagome got up from her spot and walked in the direction Sango had left. "When I get back I better not see you flirting with anyone else!"

Miroku found himself leaning away from Kagome as she gave him a verbal beating. Now he knows how Inuyasha feels when he faces Kagome's wrath. Hell hath no fury than a woman's scorn indeed. As for the others in the room, they could only look up at the ceiling or floor in awkwardness. Inuyasha on the other hand couldn't help but think to the past with Kikyo and Kagome. Even if he hadn't seen it from Kagome's perspective back then, he sure did now. He was no better either, but Kagome had never really lashed out at him directly like she did at Miroku just now.

Inuyasha stared at the food in the centre. She was starving, but I guess she lost her appetite. Inuyasha piled some food onto his plate, and got up without any warning to the others.

"Hey Inuyasha where are you going?" Shippo called out.

"To get some fresh air." He mumbled out. Shippo looked to Miroku, then to the food, and back to where Inuyasha had left. He swiped some rice balls, and fish kabobs from the platter and followed the hanyou's suit. Miroku was left alone to contemplate his actions that caused such a ruckus. There was only one thing that he could do to remedy this. He piled whatever food was left from the platter and got up to go to the kitchen.

...

Sango had found the back entrance to the cabin where a porch overlooked an empty street. The yellow-orange glow of embers amongst the doorways were lighting up the rooms where families sat down to eat. Her stomach grumbled in protest. She didn't eat anything really today, and had forgotten in her haste to pick something up before escaping the confrontation between her, Miroku and Shirina. Kirara hopped onto the railing of the porch. Sango scooped her up in her arms to quell the pain of hunger. Kirara only pawed a bit at her owner's stomach hearing the incessant growling.

"I know...I just don't feel like eating right now." Sango whispered to the little neko. Kirara mewed gazing back into Sango's eyes.

"Sango..." Kagome slowly walked up to the slayer and put a hand on her shoulder. Sango wiped her cheek, a single tear had trailed down halfway before her fingers caught it.

"Kagome, why did I have to fall for him?" Sango couldn't help it now, she knew she was in good company as her best friend was always there to support her in these times.

"It's not your fault, Sango. Sometimes the heart wants what it wants. Sometimes we are blind to a person's faults because we believe so much in them. No man is perfect, as you and I are not perfect either. But no one deserves to be treated with disrespect like that. Especially not you."

"What do I do, Kagome? I just made a scene in there.." Sango replied, absorbing Kagome's words.

"You don't do anything. You didn't make a scene, you were a victim of it. Just take a breather until you're ready to come back to eat, or I can go grab our food and we can find somewhere else to eat too. Or we can enjoy the scenery until you feel better."

"Ok, I think I can do that." Sango breathed in a bit shakily. "Thanks, Kagome." Kagome smiled softly and looked up at the dusk sky.

When Sango had gained her emotional strength back, they had walked back into the warmth of the cabin to find Inuyasha standing along the wall of the hallway holding a plate with food. Kagome and Sango were stunned to find him there.

"Here." Inuyasha handed Kagome the plate of food he held. Kagome accepted the plate graciously and looked up at the hanyou. "You both walked out without eating. I'm not going to face a battle with you both on empty stomachs."

Kagome and Sango looked at each other in awe. They didn't expect him to find them, and give them food. They both simultaneously said, "thank you," before he walked away back down the hallway.

"Um, I didn't expect that." Sango commented honestly. Kagome shook her head thinking the same thing as she looked down at the luke warm food.

"I don't think I'm feeling well still, Kagome. I might pass on dinner and head to our room...wherever that is," Sango looked left and right trying to determine where they were staying. I'm going to go find the head master and find out." Kagome nodded. When Sango left, Kagome looked back at the plate and decided to find the generous hanyou. She couldn't help but take a kabob and nibble on it as she walked in the direction he had left. She had walked and walked, until she saw Miroku quickly leaving the dining room holding a platter of steaming food.

"Ah, Kagome! Where is Sango?" Miroku turned around suddenly being careful to keep the platter at 90 degrees. Kagome eyed the monk again.

"Well depends on what you want with Sango." Kagome huffed, still in protective best friend mode.

"Come on, Kagome. This stuff is hot." Kagome looked at the mentioned platter. "Is that for..." Miroku nodded.

"Yes, now can you please tell me where I can find her?" Kagome paused, she sighed. "She left to go find our rooms."

"Did she already eat with you?" Miroku eyed Kagome's scattered plate of kabobs and rice. Kagome shook her head.

"Nope, she didn't feel like eating when I was with her." Kagome said, but realized to correct her statement. "I don't think it would be a bad idea to drop this off with her though..." Miroku nodded and thanked Kagome, but not before handing her a steaming bowl of rice. "That's an apology and a thank you for the friendly advice."

"Oh...I'm glad you took the advice." Kagome replied.

"Oh before I forget, Kagome." Miroku said, "Inuyasha's got some good ideas for this kind of stuff. It wasn't until you left that he got up with the food and followed after you and Sango."

Kagome's heart skipped a beat. "Really?"

"Yes," Miroku adjusted the platter. "I should get going now before I serve this cold to Sango." Kagome chuckled as she watched the monk jog down the hallway in search of the demon slayer.

"You think she's going to accept that from him?" Inuyasha had snuck up behind Kagome. Kagome nearly jumped and lost all the food on the plate in the process.

"You need to stop sneaking up on me, Inuyasha!" Kagome whined. "And to answer your question. Who knows. Maybe half of it will be on his head and the other half she'll eat after realizing she can't waste good food." Inuyasha smirked, he was enjoying the fact that he was catching her off guard.

"I think he made that by himself. I saw Shirina leave after I had dropped off the food with you girls." Inuyasha pointed out. Kagome looked at him with a smile.

"Well I guess desperate times call for desperate measures." Kagome remarked jokingly. Inuyasha cracked a smile at the joke.

"Oh hey, I really appreciate you grabbing food for Sango and I. It was very thoughtful." Kagome beamed at the hanyou. Inuyasha turned a soft shade of pink at that. "Yea, uh, don't mention it."

"Did you eat?" Kagome wondered curiously. Inuyasha shook his head softly. Kagome's eyes widened. "And here you're telling me you can't go into battle with me if I'm on an empty stomach! Here have a kabob, I can't finish all this by myself. Sango stuck me with all of it." Inuyasha grabbed the offered kabob in thanks.

"Let's go back to eat. It's kind of dark in this hallway." Kagome said. As they made their way back to the dining area, Inuyasha replied sarcastically, "Keh. The eyesight of a human never ceases to amaze me."

"Yeah it must be a shocking reminder every time in your human form." They saw Shippo had finished a majority of the platter and he was now napping on the wooden floor. They had sat down quietly as they both enjoyed the rest of the meal that was left untouched.

"Damn kit."

"Growing boys need to eat." Kagome smiled softly at the kit.

"Feh."

...

Miroku walked until he saw the head master. "Ah master monk, why are you carrying a platter full of food?"

"It seems my friends went off in different directions. I'm wondering if we could bring this to the rooms instead." He didn't want to mention anything involving his mistake with Sango and Shirina.

"Well our agreement is that you vanquish the great demon and then earn your stay." The host reminded, and looked skeptical of the monk. It was then that Miroku noticed a small round insect demon on the host's neck.

"Here. Hold this, and don't move a muscle."

"What in the-" The host had no time to speak as Miroku had pulled out a sutra from his robe. "Demon...Be GONE!" Miroku had made such a noise and clapped his hands with the sutra before applying it to the host's neck. All it really did was squish the insect demon and the offending bug landed on the side of the platter with a small plop, unknown to the host.

"There the exorcism is complete. You were about to be possessed by this little blood-sucking demon here." Miroku had picked up the little demon, who happened to be Myoga the flea demon, for the host to see. Miroku whispered apologies to the poor flea as he ran over to the window and tossed Myoga into the bushes outside.

"Oh such is the life of a poor little flea like me." Myoga whined as he fell like a feather onto a frozen leaf stuck to the ground.

The host blinked a few times, before bowing profusely to show his immense gratitude. "Oh I am so deeply in your debt, master monk. I will show you to my quarters where you and your friends will be staying." Miroku sighed. That was good timing on his part for Myoga to show up, maybe not so much for the flea however. He would have to give blood to the flea for a week to make up for that trick.

...

Sango had found the host's quarter's easily and entered into the space where a small tea table was set up in the middle of the room. "Not a bad set up he has here." She remembered as a child that her grandparents had a similar living space with rooms raised on on platforms surrounding the main area inside. She opened a door directly across from where she had stood in the entrance and found a clean sleeping mat and head roll. Kirara had already bound over to the sleeping mat to get comfortable. Sango closed the screen door and placed her weapon to the side, propping it up against the wall before lowering herself to the mat. She just felt like going to sleep to rid herself of the constant ring of thoughts that circled her mind.

"I'll just close my eyes for a bit.." She felt the heaviness of her eyelids close as she fell into slumber with Kirara sitting curled against her back facing the doorway to the room.

...

Shirina had popped back into the main dining room after seeing that Kagome and Inuyasha had finished their dinner. "I hope you both are full from the dinner."

Kagome smiled, while holding her stomach completely satisfied. "Oh, I think we'll be sleeping good tonight." Inuyasha was lying down on the floor face up, and drunkenly agreed with Kagome. Shirina shared a few giggles before bidding both a good night.

Kagome giggled at Inuyasha's state of being as he laid down from the big meal. "Haha come on Inuyasha, we should get up and find the master's quarters." Kagome had stood up, and offered her hand out to Inuyasha to pull him up from the floor. Inuyasha peeped open an eye at her extended hand. He peeled himself off the floor, but didn't take her hand. Kagome slowly retracted her hand and pretended to smooth out a wrinkle in her clothing. Inuyasha set his eyes on her bag that had been pushed to the wall. He slung the strap of the bag over his left arm to rest on his shoulder.

Kagome couldn't help but feel a bit awkward after that, she didn't know what to say to make the silence go away. Inuyasha nodded his head, "ok let's go."

Inuyasha walked past her, opening up the screen door separating the room from the hallway. Kagome shrugged off his nonchalant attitude as she picked up the sleeping Shippo and nestled him in the junction of her right arm and proceeded to follow Inuyasha out of the room. They walked side by side down the darkened corridor, but Kagome felt Inuyasha wrap his clawed hand around hers. She was a bit startled at first but relaxed and gripped her hands in his. She was trying not to look at him because she wasn't sure if she'd be able to keep walking straight or stop looking at him.

Inuyasha was relieved to feel her hand wrap around his. He glanced sideways at her as he felt her quickened pulse throbbing through the veins in her hand and wrist. A slight blush creeped into her cheeks and ears. Inuyasha smiled inwardly, she looked adorable. But he wasn't quite ready to admit that to her.

They walked hand in hand while Inuyasha silently followed the scent of the monk.

...

After Miroku had 'vanquished' the demon, he allowed the head master to lead him to the quarters where his friends would likely be setting up for the night. It was a boring trip to the quarters as the host rambled on about his ancestors living with monks in buddhist temples across Japan. The steam had slowed on the food, and he had to make sure he got to Sango before the rice ran cold.

When they reached the entrance, Ruroki bowed to the monk and repeated his many thanks for his exorcism. Miroku backed into the room sliding the door open with his foot as he had no hands to pry it open. "Ah don't mention it. No, I'm serious, don't mention it." Miroku walked inside not bothering to shut the door behind him as he bid Roroki a good night. He glanced around the room, taking in the detail of the furnishing inside. He almost didn't see the little furry head peeping through a crack in the door across from where he stood. Kirara watched him intrigued by the smell of the food he carried.

"Hello Kirara." Miroku greeted softly. "Sango with you over there?" He made his way across the room and slid the door open to see a sleeping Sango.

"Sango..." Miroku had opened the door a bit wider, and Kirara padded over to the sleeping woman, licking her face adoringly.

"Hm, Kirara. What's going on?" Sango murmured in between sleepy yawns. It was then she noticed a shadow at the door. Startled she was going to grasp for her weapon, but her nose caught the scent of food quicker than her hand got to the Hiraikotsu. Looking down at the food placed on the floor beside two pairs of feet and the hems of Miroku's robes. She rubbed her eyes from her interrupted slumber.

"Miroku, what is all this?"

"Consider this my apology for earlier. I said the wrong thing. Did the wrong thing." Miroku started. "For that I am sorry to have caused you pain, Sango."

"I-I don't know what you're talking about."

"No, I think you do." Miroku bravely took a step towards her, and after she didn't refuse or back away, he knelt down so he was looking at her face to face.

"I care about you, more than you know, Sango. I know it's hard to believe." Sango looked at her hands thoughtfully. "One day soon I hope that you can see the way I look at you. You're not like any woman I've met, and I mean that truly."

"Miroku..." Sango was stunned at the confession. "I, don't know what to say. I do share your feelings. I'm confused and disheartened at why you show other women affection."

Miroku sighed, "I'm an idiot. I didn't see or know that you cared in the same way." Sango smiled faintly as he continued, "call me a coward, but I didn't think you'd fall for me."

"Well, I guess I tried to hide it, and felt that you were only having fun making me angry at the way you paraded women around yourself during travels." Sango looked him squarely in the eye. "It's going to take some time. Even though I care about you, I can't forget the past until I know you're completely committed to me." Miroku sighed inwardly, not quite expecting her not to forgive him so easily. But there was still hope in her answer, he could feel it in the way she phrased her words.

Feeling like a light had cleared a path for him to Sango's heart, he took her hand gently and looked into her warm brown eyes, "Sango, I will do everything in my power to regain your trust, and to not dishonour your good faith in me and in what a future for us can be like. I want you in my life, and through battles in your heart and on this journey to avenge your family, I want you to know you can confide in me. Even if in the end you choose not to be with me, I will always be there for you to protect you."

"Miroku..." Sango was beyond words. She didn't expect him to so eloquently pour out his devotion to her. Even if he had a knack with fancy words, he meant every ounce of this compassionate ode to her. She knew silently in her heart that she should give him a chance even if her mind was stubborn and tried to protect her pride. "Ok, I'll give you one shot, Miroku. Don't make me regret my decision." Miroku smiled softly, and looked at her affectionately.

"I promise to not let you down." Miroku turned around to leave the room, but not before his stomach growled. Sango quirked an eyebrow at him, "Did you not eat anything either?"

"I didn't feel like eating with you being upset with me." Miroku admitted honestly. Sango looked back down at the plate he had set down in front of her. There was enough to eat for two people.

"Here, I probably won't get to eat all this tonight. Help me finish it," Sango offered. Miroku was about to decline her kind offer, but his stomach protested that idea.

"Thank you, dear Sango." Miroku walked back over to take a seat next to Sango. Sango quickly snapped her chopsticks in half and handed the other half to the monk. "This will have to work for now."

Miroku felt his fingers overlap Sango's as the broken chopsticks were placed in his hand. "It's perfect."

* * *

Inuyasha and Kagome were steps away from opening the doors to the host's quarters when Inuyasha pulled Kagome back from opening the door. He could hear Miroku and Sango talking privately inside. Kagome looked up questioningly, "Is this the wrong one? Did we miss it again?"

Inuyasha shook his head. "No, it's alright. Miroku and Sango are inside.." Kagome listened intently to his words, but her eyes widened a bit after he finished. "Are they..?" It took Inuyasha a couple seconds to catch on to what she was inferring.

"Uh, no not like that...they are talking" Inuyasha awkwardly replied. His ears perked up at the sound of a door closing shut inside with no further footsteps to be heard of. He hoped that had been Miroku going to his room, and his queue to go inside as well. Inuyasha slid the screen door open to reveal what he had heard. He quickly surveyed the quarters and saw four rooms with one door shut. So perhaps the monk and demon slayer were...no it couldn't be, he would have smelled it. Instead he smelled the remnants of rice balls and kabobs wafting from the room. They were eating privately.

Kagome followed Inuyasha's line of sight and definitely jumped to the first conclusion she had made earlier. But Inuyasha shook his head confirming that it wasn't what she was thinking. Kagome's mouth formed an 'o' as she set her sights on which room she would be taking up for the night. A nice moonlit room to the far left peaked her interest. She adjusted the sleeping Shippo in her arms and Inuyasha followed suit with the book bag still slung over his shoulder. Inuyasha plopped the bag down softly at the wall for Kagome to unpack her sleeping bag. He would never understand the need to sleep in a bag of material when most of the times humans slept on thin bed rolls anyway, but this was Kagome. She always surprised him with her futuristic contraptions she brings back from her era.

"Well this room will do nicely." Kagome surmised as she knelt down to place Shippo on the white bed mat. Inuyasha made his way to the door and Kagome looked back at him. "Thanks, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha turned back slightly and gave her a nod and then continued to the room across from hers. He didn't think it a good idea to sleep next to Miroku and Sango's if anything progressed more romantically. He doubted it would with them being near, but humans were very unpredictable, and his feelings for Kagome were getting ever so complex. He wouldn't admit it to her that even holding her hand was torture in the way he just wanted to scoop her up and take her away to a private place where they could be together alone. His thoughts raced and he could feel his blood beating. He couldn't understand why he was feeling like this. With Kikyo he never felt this way, like his heart was ready to explode and his fangs throbbing. He couldn't stand the feeling of being distant to her, but wanting to wrap her in his arms. It was beginning to be absolute torture.

Kagome had watched him retreat to the opposite side of the room. She figured he didn't want to risk being beside Miroku and Sango's room, not that his hearing wouldn't be able to pick up any noise anyway. Kagome closed the door softly until she heard it snap close. After unravelling her sleeping bag she smoothed out the bumps from the uneven material. While picking Shippo back up, she shimmied her feet and legs into the opening of there bag and let the rest of her body fall back slowly to the ground. She could have just used the mat, but there was something about the comfort of a sleeping bag that reminded her of home and camping trips.

As her eyes drifted shut, she began to quickly fall asleep.

..

 _A soft breeze of warm air tickled the little airs on her skin. She felt like an electric current was running through her veins. Looking at her arms and hands, she could see a pale pink glow surround her hands. Was she exerting her powers. Looking around she found herself in a familiar place once again. It was Lady Giya's sanctuary and training grounds._

 _"I see you got here safely enough." Lady Giya spoke out elegantly as she walked towards Kagome with her hands in the sleeves of her priestess robe._

 _"How? Am I dreaming?" Kagome asked curiously. Wasn't she in the village with her friends?_

 _"Of sorts. Don't mistake this, my dear. This is very much real. I beckoned your soul here once you were at rest." Lady Giya simply retorted as matter a factly. Rossi arrived beside the elder priestess with a brown package in between her arm and side._

 _"Ah, very good. Those are the robes I asked for you to bring?" Lady Giya motioned for Rossi to bring forth the package. Lady Giya took the parcel and offered it to Kagome._

 _Kagome, surprised, took the parcel in hand. "These will be your training garments. You will wear them, and discard your...attire, when you arrive next time."_

 _"Next time? Hold on what is going on here?" Kagome wasn't too sure what they were expecting from her, but to train in her sleep. Now this had to be a dream. She wasn't going to be physically following the exertion that training imposed on the body if it was in the village resting. "This has to be a dream."_

 _"Nonsense. You are here to train like we agreed on the last time we met. You are to complete your end of the bargain." Kagome was dumbfounded. She thought she would have had to travel far to train, but this was something else entirely. "Now undress and meet us in the training grounds past the bridge and tree of spirits."_

 _Kagome looked around. Was she supposed to strip down here in the middle of the grassy meadow? Lady Giya and Rossi took their leave to give her privacy as she looked on with uncertainty._

 _When Kagome had found her way to what looked like a bridge with a large pink flowering tree at the other side of the bank, she gathered up the material of the hakama pants she had been given. It was a bit long, as the person who was the owner of these garments was a great deal taller than her. Her garments were highly unusual garments for that of a priestess. They were_ _completely brown with a burlap sash tying the outfit together at the middle. She felt like a peasant of edo._

 _As she reached the tree of souls she could hear laughter, singing, and prayers murmured when the wind brushed against her hair and face. It sounded like there were actual people conversing nearby, but when she looked beyond the tree, there was no one. It reminded her of the time her friends encountered the demon tree whose fruits resembled human faces. This era had a power fetish when it came to magic trees. Her thoughts went back to Inuyasha when he had rescued her from marinating in that tub of tree gunk. He had seen her naked for the first time, in all her glory. It wasn't a particularly dignified moment of hers as she watched his eyes balloon into saucers. Suddenly a sharp zap coursed through her body._

 _Rossi had made another debut to usher Kagome to the_ _training area. "You should feel honoured to have Lady Giya as your sensei. She has trained many prolific priestesses in her day. You must know that she only chooses one per decade to train, and it's quite the exclusive selection in all of Edo._

 _"I, am unaware, but I am interested to see what she will teach me."_

 _"Don't mistake this with the usual village education that priestesses go through. This is not mediocre training, it is of life and death."_

 _"What do you mean? She couldn't possibly kill me?" Kagome stopped in her tracks. Were they insane?_

 _"Actually, she can and if you're foolish enough and don't listen, she will." Rossi didn't pay any mind to wait for Kagome to catch up, she could have very well heard the girl's jaw drop to the ground._

 _"Pick up your feet, girl. We've got little time until you wake up and we've got work to do."_

 _Kagome reluctantly urged her feet to move as she looked back to the tree of souls wondering if this was how they had died. By the hand of a looney old bird._

* * *

"The things that Naraku makes me do. So pathetic that I have to watch this annoying brat, Kohaku," Kagura huffed as she eyed the human boy that had been running stealthily through the brush in the forest nearby the village his sister visited. His scythe and chain making soft noises as the twigs brushed past his arms and legs. He was making too much noise as he was trying to go undetected by the bigot guards watching the village entry.

She never understood why they bothered fortifying the village when demons could very easily clear any height. If anything they were caging themselves inside, and making it harder to escape from harm. It only made her wind attacks stronger as the wind has faster currents in the fortified village. Although she was ready and looking forward to play with that pesky half demon and his friends. Maybe today was the day she could finally detach that head from his shoulders, or maybe dangle his friends' dead bodies in front of him and make him fight off her dance of the dead attack. It was all too pleasing in her mind as she played out the possibilities evilly. She would do whatever would pass the time. It's not like she was free to do anything she wanted anyway, but this would have to do for now to keep her mind occupied.

Kohaku had reached the end of the path sliding his back against the wall of the fort. There were two men in their 20s guarding the entrance on foot. One was scrawny enough that he looked like he hadn't finished puberty, while the other had more muscle and with an unkept goatee. They were arguing about who was going to win the next drinking game and get lucky with one of the bar maidens in the tavern.

Kohaku paid no mind to their argument, but watched as they had each turned their backs giving him an opening to walk right in with no cause for worry on his part. He moved like silk, sliding past their watch effortlessly. He was in, and as he turned the corner, making sure to stay in the shadows of the wall, he noticed that the town was empty and everyone was asleep. He hated this part. It reminded him of his tragic past, murdering his comrades in battle. He remembered every bit of the fight and betrayal like a prisoner stuck in his mind. He was careful not to let on that he had regained his memories to Naraku, but in doing so, he still had to act like he was under his possession, like he was a mindless killer. A killer following direct orders from the master, but now a murderer with a choice and a conscience.

He remembered what his orders were, he was to stir chaos to cause his dear sister pain. To make her feel the anguish of having to stop him even if it meant ending his miserable life. He had wished they could both go back to simpler days where they slay normal demon-infested villages. He could feel the voice of Naraku begin to echo in his head. Even though he was no longer under his possession he was still attached mentally to him. It was the cause of his internal frustration as he knew he could never be rid of him until he perished somehow.

Kohaku stopped in front of the first hut closest to the entrance. His hand paused before opening the mat. His hand was shaking from the act he was about to commit. Another part of his soul would blacken and be cursed to the underworld for this act alone. He closed his eyes tight, and let out a ragged breath, and then he walked inside soundless as a burglar, robbing innocent people of their lives. And so it began. Every swing compelled by the darkness plaguing his soul, body and mind. This parasitic possession caused by one tainted jewel shard had no mercy, nor compassion for the innocent.

...

The smell of blood was fresh in the air. Inuyasha had just fallen asleep but the heavy odor of thick iron was becoming increasingly apparent and potent. He got up with a start and ran out of the room using his demon agility to propel him forward. He found the quickest exit through a window in the host's quarters. Through the empty room beside Kagome, he dashed out into the yard of the hotel. Screams were getting louder as some people were beginning to realize they were under attack. Suddenly the night sky lit up from a massive storm of demons heading towards the village. Inuyasha narrowed his eyes at the hoard only to spot a swarm of demonic wasps leading the hoard towards the village. ' _Naraku!'_

Hopping back through the window he slammed open the door of Miroku and Sango's room. They had just fallen asleep as well. Miroku was leaned up against the wall under the window, and Sango lay flat with her back on the sleeping roll. Their dishes of food were discarded to the side. They were startled by the sound of the door slamming open with a loud crack. "Inuyasha! What-" Inuyasha didn't let Miroku finish, as he looked at them very seriously.

"It's Naraku. Get your things, we're under attack!"

Shippo, rubbing his eyes sleepily, wandered out of Kagome's room after hearing the commotion in the main area. "What's the matter?" His eyes cleared to see Sango and Miroku lugging their gear together in such a hurry. His eyes were wide in panic as he looked to Inuyasha who was headed towards him to wake up Kagome.

Kagome was sound asleep. Sometimes he wondered if she even had demon detecting abilities as she remained peaceful in a deep slumber. He knelt down next to her head, and placed a hand on her shoulder to wake her from sleep. "Kagome."

After one try she didn't budge, her breathing remaining steady. "Kagome! Wake up, we're under attack by Naraku!" Still no response. Shippo had heard Inuyasha getting agitated now, and poked his head in to see what was going on. It was as he heard, Kagome was not waking up even though she was still soundly asleep.

"What the hell..Kagome. Wake up." Inuyasha began to get rough as he pulled her up in a sitting position and started shaking her. Her head moved side to side as he shook her, and still no response.

"Inuyasha, what's wrong with Kagome? Why isn't she waking up?" Shippo questioned anxiously, not liking this one bit.

"I don't know. It's like she's under a spell." Inuyasha said worriedly. "Dammit!" Sango and Miroku ran over to see what the problem was, only to realize that Kagome was not conscious.

"Inuyasha..." Sango said with concern.

"Just go, I'll handle this...whatever is going on, just go! The smell of blood is getting worse." Inuyasha snapped back. Sango jumped a bit from the startling retort by the hanyou. Miroku placed a firm hand on her arm, urging her to get moving. "She'll be ok, I don't sense any demonic energy around her. She'll snap out of it soon."

"Inuyasha before we go, she could be in a deep meditation," Miroku pondered out loud. "It's not a particularly safe meditation as her conscience is completely unawares of her surroundings and puts her in immediate danger of a threat."

"How does she get out of it?" Inuyasha asked desperately.

Miroku shook his head solemnly, "she can't. Only the person who beckoned her to go into deep meditation can awaken her."

"Who would do this to her? I didn't sense anyone trespass inside here!" Inuyasha got up abruptly, angered by this development. How could he have let her get in this predicament.

Inuyasha slammed his fist into the wall, frustrated by this unforeseen problem. "Shippo..stay here and protect Kagome."

Shippo pulled his hand to his chest, nodding affirmatively, "With my life." Sango considered Kirara thoughtfully and decided Kagome needed the extra protection. "You too, Kirara. Stay beside Shippo and Kagome." Kirara nuzzled Sango's face affectionately before jumping off to guard her two companions.

As Inuyasha took one last look at Kagome, he turned around to confront the chaos that would soon overwhelm them. As his comrades followed him out the open window and into the hallway, Inuyasha couldn't help but feel a growing pit in his stomach.

Inuyasha dashed off following the potent iron stench in the air. He could hear the lighting cuts of carnage, as weapons sliced and silenced screams. They were running down the dirt path and when they turned the corner, they noticed a massacre of dead bodies strewn on the ground and in the centre of it all was Kohaku, and a smirking Kagura swinging the cord of her dreadful fan round and round.

"Well it took you long enough," Kagura teased. "To think, you could have avoided all this carnage if you had just killed Kohaku the last time we met."

Sango clenched her hand to her chest. The killings, and all the lives wasted for a mistake she should have corrected long ago. ' _Kohaku.'_ She took a step forward out from behind Inuyasha, her head cast down in pain for what she was about to do.

"Kohaku, I'm sorry." Sango felt the tears roll down her face

"It seems Kohaku is having more difficulty each day fulfilling Naraku's request. Don't worry, this carnage was all me. But you should kill him now before Naraku finds out." Kagura taunted, she just loved playing with this group's emotions. It was too easy to get under their skin.

"Finds out..." Sango murmured, her heart thumping wildly inside her chest. "Kohaku, remembers..."

"Sango..." Kohaku should have known this would happen. Naraku knew he was regaining his memories again. If he had followed through with orders after walking into that hut, he wouldn't have seen his sister find out this way. "Sango, please. Take the shard out of my shoulder." Sango had reached Kohaku at an arms length away. She could end everything for him now, give him the peace he needs.

"Sango, it's a trap. This is what Naraku wants, please don't listen to Kagura." Miroku intervened, knowing Sango would give in to Kohaku. He wasn't quite sure if Kohaku was possessed or not. It was best not to assume he wasn't and regret raising everyone's hopes up.

"Kohaku..." She pulled him close to her, her arms enveloping his scrawny form. She had slipped a dagger out from underneath her sleeve, the handle wobbling in her hand as she tried to regain control over her emotions. "Never let fear undermine your actions during battle, and don't let fear dictate the final blow. Have courage young ones, and be confident in your decision" Sango said solemnly. They were words of strength she lived by daily. It made the pain less frightening for her as she rehearsed the words her father once spoke to her and Kohaku at their village.

Kohaku had a strike of recognition from those words his sister spoke. ' _Father..those are his words before we left to face Naraku'_

"I hate seeing you like this, Kohaku. There's nothing more I want to do than to end your pain right here, right now. I remember the anger and pain I felt when I was brought back to life. I remember everything. You're not alone in this life, or in this fight. I promise you as your big sister, I will fight for you. There is another way and I won't allow some lump of demon flesh force my hand to end your life. There is always hope and another option, and we will find it."

Kohaku was stunned, tears welled in his eyes. His life ever since the demon slayer mass murder had been shrouded in darkness. Completely covered in a cloak of remorse. He was given forgiveness, even as they all stand here. This light Sango brought into his life, was now shining at the end of the path. _Hope,_ he thought.

"Enough of this squabble." Kagura bellowed out impatiently. "You've made the wrong choice yet again, demon slayer. You'll rue the day you didn't rip out that shard and that day has come."

As if on cue, Kohaku howled in pain and dropped to his knees clutching his shoulder. It pulsed a blackish aura where his shard was embedded. Sango tried to hold him up as she felt him slip through her fingers, but she felt a push from his hands send her stumbling back away from him. "Kohaku!"

"Stay away, I don't want to hurt you," Kohaku managed to speak out through gritted teeth. Sango fell to the ground in front of him, just utterly hopeless in her anxiety for his life. Miroku ran up behind her to console her, both his hands on her shoulders. It wasn't easy to see her younger brother in agony from Naraku's cursed shard.

"He's here." Kohaku gasped as his eyes went pale obsidian, and the familiarity was lost to all of them. The sound of Naraku's pitiful chuckles echoed from Kohaku's mouth. Kohaku stared on emotionlessly at them as Naraku used him like a tool to relay his message. "Naraku!" Inuyasha growled.

"So close, but yet not close enough, dear Sango. To think it would have been easier for you to put him out of his misery and now you must endure the torture of seeing him lose all recognition of you."

"Why can't you let him go?" Sango screamed out in anguish. "Stop playing with his life!"

"Now where would be the fun in that? If I give you what you want, what do I get in return?" Naraku/Kohaku pondered out loud. "Perhaps you would like to trade up your life for his?" There was a pause, and Sango cast her head to the ground, not able to look at the monster that had possessed her brother's body.

"But is your life more precious to you than that of your little brother?" Naraku/Kohaku taunted.

"Don't listen to him Sango, he's only trying to make you feel responsible." Miroku gripped Sango's shoulders tighter, hoping to snap her out of her head. "Like you said, there is another option. There is hope."

Sango slowly got to her feet. "You're right," Miroku released his grip on her feeling relieved that she came back to her senses. However, Sango had felt the grip loosen and took this as her chance to sprint forward towards Naraku/Kohaku. A sickening smile curved Kohaku lips into a smirk as he expected her to lunge at him. Sango held the dagger firmly in her right hand. "SANGO, NO!" Miroku couldn't believe what she was about to do. He sprinted after her to try and stop a regrettable act. "Sango! What the hell are you doing?" Inuyasha snapped.

Sango focused on the devilish smirk. Her body slammed into Kohaku's hunched form, tumbling them both to the ground by three meters. Sango pinned Kohaku to the ground and poised her dagger above his shoulder.

Miroku was almost to her when all of a sudden Sango punched her brother's face to the side with her unarmed left hand. The sound of her fist connecting with his head was too audible to forget. His head turned to the right from the force and he was knocked out instantly. Gone were Naraku's taunts. Sango slowly got up and dropped the dagger from her hand. She would never hold that to her brother again, and she would part with the weapon, leaving it behind here along with the thoughts of ending his life. "Sango..." Miroku said surprised by her sudden reaction.

"I was sick of hearing his voice through my brother's body." Sango murmured. Miroku looked solemnly at Sango. It was too hard to bear the pain she must be going through, he didn't even know if pain was a good enough word for it anymore.

Sango picked up her brother's unconscious body from the ground, hoisting him onto her back. "There's always another option, and we're going to find it."

"I'm afraid the boy stays with me." Kagura pointed out towards Sango with her fan. Her fan opened and she sent a gust of mini tornados their way. Inuyasha growled and used the Tetsusaiga to block her attack. The tornados ripped at an empty hut to the side away from Sango. Sango took this as her chance to escape with her brother. Miroku blocked Kagura's path to Sango and Kohaku, holding his staff horizontally in his hands. "Go no further, you witch!"

"I have no time to deal with you fools," Kagura threw a feather from her hair into the night sky, and quickly hopped onto the growing object. The feather along with Kagura flew off in the direction Sango ran.

Miroku quickly threw down his staff and opened his wind tunnel not realizing that the saimyosho were still in the area. Kagura fought to push forward but the wind from Miroku's tunnel prevented her from getting anywhere fast. The wind tunnel sucked up a few poisonous demon wasps in his effort to save Sango time in her escape. He could feel the pain throbbing through his veins up into his arm. He regretfully closed the tunnel and fell to his knees in pain. Inuyasha swung his tetsusaiga in the air releasing another powerful wave. It hit her back with a startling cry coming out of her lips. She moved the feather away from the resounding attack, and noticed in the distance the taijiya and the unconscious boy rounding the last corner near the end of the village.

Her eyes also caught something else and before she could move the feather to the side again, the weapon had already hit its mark, inside her shoulder. The arrow had pierced a hole between her shoulder and arm, completely severing the limb from her body and with that limb was her fan. Her appendage fell to the ground with a thump and she cried out in surprise. "You wench! How dare you!" Kagura looked below at Kagome half hidden in the shadows casted by the huts. "I'll make you wish you hadn't done that!"

Kagome ran out from the shadows of the houses. She scooped up the fan from Kagura's fallen appendage. "I don't think so. I wouldn't make another move, if you want your precious fan back." Kagome held the fan between both her hands in a motion to rip it to pieces.

"You wouldn't. Impudent brat!" Kagura seethed in fiery hate.

Kagome looked at the weapon and back up at Kagura, allowing the smallest tear to work its way into the fan. "One more word from you and this fan is toast."

Kagura opened her mouth to say something but she quickly shut her mouth into a thin line as Kagome threatened to tear off more of her beloved fan.

"Good. I'm glad I got your attention. If you want this fan back, you must leave Kohaku and Sango alone. You go after them and I will surely destroy your weapon." Kagome countered strategically.

Kagura growled impatiently. "Fine. I won't. Now be quick and give me my fan."

"No, I think I'll hang onto this for safe keeping until I believe you won't go after them. The next time I see you, will be the end of this fan."

"You think you're so cunning by stealing my fan. Let me tell you one thing, girl. Don't think Kohaku isn't still under Naraku's possession, he can still run off on his own accord back to us."

"Like I said, the next time I see you, will be the end of this fan." Kagome paused for a moment. "However, if you return Kohaku safe and sound to us in the event that he runs off, I will give you back your fan."

"My fan is worth more than the life of that human boy." Kagura bit back.

"Well then..you better make sure when he tries to run, that you reach him before he gets to Naraku."

"When I get my fan back, I will be sure to kill you slowly." Kagura said before she flew away staring menacingly down at Kagome. When Kagura was out of sight, Kagome looked at the fan more thoroughly. It had small fissures in the middle from where she had pulled it apart. She didn't dare use it, but she knew someone who would love to have it and possibly as payment for helping her friends out. She had no intention of waiting on Kagura to hold up her end of the bargain. For all that suffering Kagura had caused the wolf tribes and villages across Edo, she just knew this would be a handsome payment for the future help her group would be getting from the Eastern Wolf Tribe.

"Kagome! You're awake," Miroku said as he ran up to her. "We'll have to catch up on those events soon, I'm going to go after Sango and make sure she and Kohaku are ok."

"Sure thing," Kagome said as she watched him scurry off after Sango.

Inuyasha came up to her with concern in his eyes. "What happened? I tried to wake you, but you wouldn't stir."

"I don't know what you're talking about. I woke up, and I found Shippo and Kirara guarding me," Kagome closed the fan swiftly, and avoided his eye contact. Inuyasha wasn't happy with that answer and held her arms in both his hands.

"You know you can tell me anything. Dammit, Kagome. I thought some demon had done something to you," His eyes were searching hers as he tilted her head up softly. "I don't like the feeling when I can't reach you sometimes. Like you're shutting me out,"

"It's not that I don't want to tell you, Inuyasha. It's hard to explain. You know those things you can't explain and you just have to trust that everything is ok and will be ok...it's that sort of thing. I made a sacred vow with a higher being, and it prevents me from saying anything about it or what happened. I'm so sorry I can't say anymore. If I do...I will be taken away permanently. I had to make a decision, and you don't have to worry because I'm not in any danger."

"Not in any danger?" Inuyasha let go of her as if she had scalded him with hot water. "Kagome, you realize what era you are in? Any time of the day something could happen, and when you're asleep is the best time for danger to strike. I couldn't wake you, and there was a battle. You're telling me you weren't in any danger, but I wasn't able to stay with you to protect you or Shippo." Inuyasha shook his head. "And now you're talking to angels in your sleep?"

"You're making it sound worse than it is. It's something I knowingly agreed to because I knew you would keep me safe. You always do." Kagome tried to reason with him, but she could see in his eyes that he wasn't conceding.

"Kagome, you need to start taking into account that I may not always get to you in time. I hate thinking about it, and I refuse to think that way too, but things can happen in the blink of an eye. If I'm not there to protect you, I will never be able to live or die knowing that you weren't safe in the end."

"Inuyasha," Kagome softly wrapped her hand around his hand that gingerly held her chin. "I'm doing this for us. You must trust me, that I'm doing something good for all of us."

"I can trust you, just stop shutting me out it's pissing me off. You have secret plans that no one is allowed to be a part of for god knows why. This is our team, Kagome. And you can't forget that we started this team of misfits. If you can't tell Sango, Miroku or Shippo..then you can tell me. Secrets lead to weaknesses that opponents will want to exploit. If they know there is something wrong in our pack, they will look for it. Like that bit with Kagura. If they know the rest of us are surprised, they will know you act on your own and don't need the pack's protection. Kagura is going to be singling you out next time whether she wants her fan or not. I need to be on careful watch wherever you go now. Don't you understand? You may be smart, but you'll need some defensive moves to keep you from getting mauled by Kagura's wrath."

"Kagura's wrath isn't so terrifying without her fan." Kagome said with a slight smile. Inuyasha didn't smile.

Her expression changed to one of sadness. "We better start burying the dead. While you guys were fighting I got Shippo to warn the other half of the village of the demon attacks."

"Kagome...I'm not done talking to you about this." Inuyasha began, until he noticed that a few villagers were heading up the path to where they were standing. Two more minutes passed and half the village was following the others towards the battle area.

Kagome stayed beside Inuyasha to ward off any awful looks he might get from the villagers. She felt a couple people give Inuyasha strange, frightened looks and she felt protective of him. ' _How quick people are to assume the culprit based on species.'_ She thought, and unconsciously she wrapped her hand around his waist looking at everyone solemnly as they passed by them. Inuyasha, startled by this embrace, looked down at her and back to the villagers. They were now taking their accusing eyes off him and mirroring her look of solemnity.

"Come on let's go get the shovels. We should leave this place by morning," Inuyasha unwrapped her arm from his waist and held her hand in his as they joined in the crowd to help those find their loved ones.

"But we hardly had any sleep," Kagome began to protest. Inuyasha kept walking forward, picking up his pace. He could feel Kagome slightly jogging to keep up with him.

"This is the first place she will look," Inuyasha explained curtly. "As soon as we are done here, we need to leave."

When the villagers found their dead kin, they began to mourn the loss of their loved ones. Families and friends gathered around the slain, wrapping them in blankets. Many of the men had picked up shovels from a shed nearby and started digging grave sites. The rest of their team, plus Kohaku, Shippo and Kirara had rendez-vous'ed and followed suit in digging graves for the dead. By the time they had finished digging, Miroku had visited each grave site to pray for the peace in the afterlife for these poor souls. They had bowed their heads in respect, and made their leave from the site letting the families be alone with one another.

"So, Kagome...you passed out on us. What happened there? Did you fall ill?" Sango asked curiously. Kohaku had regained his own consciousness, sporting a large bruise to the side of his head from where Sango had punched him. His eyes were back to their saddened brown.

"I don't know to be honest. I woke up and Shippo told me I didn't stir when you guys were trying to get me out of bed. I felt the presence of a sacred jewel and knew that's where you all might have been. I didn't expect to see Kohaku and Kagura in the village." Sango looked incredulously at Kagome for a few seconds. "Maybe it's a side effect from your soul returning to you."

Kagome felt a slight sting in her arm, "I don't know. I did eat a lot, so maybe it was the food coma."

Miroku laughed softly at that. "Well, we are glad you are back with us. That was some pretty quick thinking, to shoot Kagura and steal her fan."

Inuyasha huffed, annoyed that the monk was praising her for it. He wouldn't deny that it was quick thinking, but she had now put a larger target on her back.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9: Before We Fall**

 _I look in the mirror_

 _And I try to understand_

 _And piece it together_

 _Wash the blood from both my hands_

 _I can't see the ending_

 _There are people who know my every secret_

 _I'm tired of pretending_

 _\- Mirror by Ellie Goulding_

* * *

 **December 1st - 12 P.M.**

"We're keeping to the same Northern route." Inuyasha argued.

"If we keep heading North, we're bound to hit rugged terrain that is dangerous for us to travel in. These are mountains full of snow and ice we're talking about. This is why we never have gone North in the winter. It's best we pick a different route, like South?" Miroku sighed as he tried reasoning with the hanyou.

"We just travelled South four weeks ago. We didn't find anything," Inuyasha just about had it with the monk's antics.

"Miroku is right Inuyasha. We're only human, maybe you can survive the mountains and elements, but for us it's not a viable option." Sango defended.

"Hey, just because you two are canoodling now doesn't mean you can gang up on me." Inuyasha tossed back.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome warned. She looked back and mouthed a sorry to Sango. Sango looked up shyly, while Kohaku stared at his sister and Miroku in astonishment. The side of his head was still swollen from where Sango had punched him to knock him out unconscious, but he was grateful she did that to ease the torment of Naraku's possession.

"You're courting my sister?" Kohaku asked the monk. Miroku put a hand behind his head nervously.

"Well, not until she agrees that she wants me to court her," Miroku said quickly, he didn't dare look back at Sango's expression not wanting to add any pressure in front of her kin.

"But this canoodling," Kohaku started. Sango wrapped a hand over his mouth to stop him from speaking. "Ok! That's enough questions from you lil brother."

Kohaku peeled Sango's hand away from his mouth and continued to walk beside his sister, "I'm just wondering what his intentions are. Besides, it's not every day you have a man grovelling at your feet, Sango. Most, if not all, are scared to death of you." Sango stopped in her tracks. Kohaku looked back questioningly and saw the flames coming out of her mouth. Miroku tried to intervene for the poor boy but Sango was already mad. "What was that, Kohaku?"

"Now now, boys can say the darnedest things, my dear Sango." Miroku said nervously.

It was times like these when Kagome thought back to her little brother, Souta. She would have that same look on her face and her younger brother would be backing up from her, scared of what she would do next.

"What's that, Miroku? Are you defending him?" Sango looked between the both of them with anger. Miroku and Kohaku started to back away, feeling the air getting hotter and hotter as sweat beads rolled down their foreheads. "Nope, nope he's on his own," Miroku backed away quickly from Kohaku. "Gee thanks."

"Kagome, is your brother this bold?" Sango asked not taking her eyes off her brother.

"Oh, he's ten times worse." Kagome admitted truthfully. "If he said something like that to me, I would demand an apology. Or hang him upside down from his ankles and wait for an apology."

Inuyasha looked back at Kagome stunned. "And you SIT me for hanging Shippo up by the tail..."

Kagome blushed. "He's my brother, there's a difference. It's an older sibling thing."

"Ya! There's a difference, Inuyasha!" Shippo mocked while sticking out his tongue at the half demon.

"I need a chain of command on you for every time you pick on your brother." Inuyasha countered. "I wonder what the word would be if I could get Kaede to make subjugation beads for you."

"Inuyasha..." Kagome had that warning tone back in her voice.

"Roll over. Hm, no that's not good enough." Inuyasha tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Stay. Yup that's what it would be. Kagome, ST-"

"Sit boy." Kagome paid no mind to him crashing down to the ground as she walked right on past him. "Maybe it's time you see _your_ older brother."

"Half-Brother!" Inuyasha shouted. "And no, I'm not visiting that old prick."

"So if we're not heading North, and we're not heading West, that leaves South or back home." Miroku suggested.

"At this rate, I'll be going back home if Inuyasha keeps up with his remarks." Kagome said in annoyance, eyeing the small Inuyasha sized crater.

"How about we take a vote." Miroku intervened before Inuyasha could say anything more on the subject. "Sango, Kohaku, Shippo, what do you-"

Miroku didn't have time to finish when the sound of men hollering at their horses to gallop faster became increasingly audible to the group. To the north of the path, they could make out a small snowy cloud forming from the galloping horses and men commanding them forward. "Move out of the way! We must see the healer of the village!"

As the horsemen were getting closer, the group took notice of their armour. It was plastered in ice and dried blood. A wagon was being roughly pulled from behind and it carried four injured villagers. Some looked close to death. Miroku took a step toward the horsemen.

"The village that we came from just suffered a demon attack. I would not bring anymore injured to this village. They will not be treated quickly." The horsemen slowed down to hear the monk. "Pray sir, what happened to you lot?" Miroku inquired hastily.

"A great demon from hell attacked the village in the dead of night. We've never seen a demon so powerful in over a 100 years." Inuyasha's ears twitched at the mention of this powerful demon.

"That sounds like Naraku." Shippo pointed out.

"But he had attacked this village in the dead of night. He couldn't have possibly attacked another." Sango reminded her companion.

"This is Naraku we are talking about. The bastard can clone himself." Inuyasha huffed, while shoving his hands into the sleeves of his haori.

"No it was not that vile filth who attacked our beloved village." Everyone brought their attention back to the horseman. "This demon is from the legends of the North."

"And which legend might that be?" Miroku asked curiously.

The horsemen looked back at his men. "Daisuke, carry on and get the injured to a village quickly. Go, now." Kagome's head jerked up at the man called, Daisuke. The man snapped the reigns against the neck of his horse. Daisuke noticed a pair of eyes on him as he passed by. His face moved to the side to meet Kagome's gaze. His face was angular with sharp cheekbones underneath obsidian eyes that seemed to look into her soul. He smirked at her, causing an unsettling feeling in the pit of her stomach. That was him. She was sure of it. The nomadic priest. Kagome continued to stare at his back until he was no longer in sight.

Inuyasha having noticed the small exchange, looked at Kagome, "What was that about?"

Kagome turned to him, furrowing her brows at the uneasiness she had just felt. "I think we will encounter that man again, but I don't have a good feeling for some reason."

Before Inuyasha could question her more on the subject, the leader of the men on horseback started speaking about the attack once more.

"The legend I speak of is about the Great Youkai of Miomataku. It is said that there were two brothers that reigned over the North for quite some time. They were respected by many demons across Japan for their diplomacy, and power. The brothers' names were Miso and Katsu. Miso was known for his cold temperament, and Katsu was known for his gentle and compassionate nature. Together they led their people through the frontier of the North within a fortress that is claimed to have looked like a village of mirrors because it was made of ice so clear you could see your reflection. This fortress was well hidden in the mountains, far away from any human villages. However, there were a few groups of humans that discovered the fortress and were so enchanted by the beauty of the ice. The group were invited inside, but they did not know at the time that the village was run entirely by demons. The demons resembled humans in their pearl white attire, but their eyes were a startling icy blue. The group of humans were comprised of both men and women. Among them was a beautiful priestess, Sara. The humans having realized that the fortress was run by demons, were immediately frightened. However the demons were intrigued that these humans were able to find their fortress and rewarded them by sparing their lives and letting them stay one night. The humans were both appreciative of the gesture, but wary of staying the night. The priestess among them however reasoned with them as her powers were weak after climbing the mountains and keeping a barrier around herself and the villagers for so long. With no other choice, the humans acquiesced the offer.

While everyone fell asleep, the priestess was restless. It was a mystery that this fortress stood in the deadly mountains. She walked through the fortress, but she was stopped by Katsu. The two exchanged words, and it was their first interaction since her arrival. What no one expected, was that it would be the start of many interactions between them. The next day, the demons fulfilled their promise and let the villagers go. When the villagers arrived back in their village, they told their friends and families of the beautiful fortress in the mountains. The curiosity of the other villagers grew, and it didn't take long for a few misguided individuals to want to see the fortress for themselves. Sara warned the villagers not to go, but they did not heed her advice. It was in this same day, that Miso's curiosity for Sara guided him to her village. He didn't understand why he was drawn to her, but he had to see her. He didn't expect her to sense him, but she immediately sought him out when she felt his aura approaching. The two talked privately, and she had warned him about the villagers who would be seeking out the fortress. Katsu promised no harm would come to the villagers as he would use the power of the Katsukane Mirror to prevent the group from finding the fortress. Katsu showed Sara the mirror he spoke of, and the powers it contained as it was the tool that built the fortress in the first place. Miso revealed that it was the very thing that kept people from finding the fortress and maintaining peace amongst his villagers. However, he noted that the mirror did not work against her powers and that's how she and the villagers were able to find the fortress in the beginning.

After they parted ways for the second time, Sara waited until the villagers returned to confirm that Katsu kept up his end of the bargain. From that point on her respect and admiration for the demon became stronger. Over the next few months they met in secret, and their bond grew from strangers, to friends. Then one night, Katsu confessed his deep feelings for Sara and the two became lovers. Unknown to them, they were discovered by Sara's brother, Tobi, who happened to be the village's General. Tobi was enraged at the two as he did not have any compassion in his heart for demons. In his anger, he waited until Sara had returned to the village to expose her to the village. He convinced the villagers that Katsu had brainwashed and possessed his beloved sister, as a result, he declared war upon the demons in the North. He wanted to personally seek out Miso to kill him and end the spell that was inflicted on his sister, and the best way to do this in his mind was to use Sara as bait.

In Tobi's madness, he had his sister restrained by ropes and had beaten her to force her cooperation to find the hidden fortress. The soldiers were met by the demon army outside the fortress. Upon the sight of Sara bound and bloody, Katsu was enraged. Miso roared, and defended his brother's honour claiming that they do not have the power to enchant humans by seduction and that their kind is above such trickery. Not believing a single word, Tobi escalated by threatening to kill his sister in front of Katsu. His actions only revealed the true love that the two lovers harboured for each other. His sister's affection for the demon disgusted Tobi for he now knew that Miso had spoken the truth. His anger lashed out and he killed his sister in front of Katsu, slitting her throat for all to see. For a sister who falls in love with a demon is not his sister at all, and should perish for such a crime.

Horrified by the assault on his beloved, Katsu made no hesitation to kill Tobi and the villagers by using the Katsukane to trap their souls for an eternity inside the mirror. Katsu however never recovered from that day. He was no longer the kind and compassionate dragon demon he was before and one day he killed himself to end the despair and tragedy that upended in his life. Miso angered by his brother's suicide vowed to destroy all the human villages in the North, but not before absorbing Katsu and his power into his body so that he could take control of the Katsukane mirror. From that day forward he was known as Misotaku. He accomplished his goal, as all the surrounding villages were demolished in his rage. His clan followed suit, and it did not take long for surrounding regions of Japan to learn of the rising evil of Misotaku and his clan. Misotaku urged all other demon lords in the other regions to take action and rid themselves of the humans of this world. As Misotaku lost control of himself and the immense power he absorbed from his brother, so did that of his clan as they took it upon themselves to vanquish humans in other realms of the country. The Western Demon Lord, Inu no Taisho, quickly put a stop to this as he was not going to let just any demon disturb the peace in his territory. It was said he brought down 100 demons with one swoop of his mighty sword. When news was sent back to Misotaku that the Western lord killed 100 members of his clan, he declared war upon the West. Inu no Taisho, wanting to avoid carnage of his own people, rushed to the North to battle Misotaku before he arrived in the West with his army. After a long battle between both lords, the Western lord was able to vanquish Misotaku and imprisoned him within an impenetrable wall of ice. Slowly, and over many years, humans started coming back to the North to inhabit and rebuild the villages that once stood there."

"Well there you have it Inuyasha, your father saved the day once more." Shippo cheered. The older man balked at the admission.

"Is that true? You are the son of the great demon lord of the West?" The man questioned.

"Keh. And what of it?" Inuyasha crossed his arms in a huff, clearly not enjoying the man's praises of his father.

"Then you must help us! You are the only one who can stop Misotaku!" The older man pleaded. "He is no longer in the North, he went in the direction of the West to find your brother."

"Half-brother!" Inuyasha corrected sharply. "How was this demon able to be revived if he was sealed in an impenetrable layer of ice?"

"Yes, I was asking myself the same thing." Miroku pondered out loud. "Do you think Naraku could have done this with the help of the jewel?"

"It could be similar to the time he restored Ryukotsusei." Sango added.

"I think we have our heading you guys!" Kagome beamed, and internally grateful that they were not going to the frigid North.

"Ok, but let's just get this one thing straight. I am not running to the aid of Sesshomaru. We will find Naraku, and kill him once and for all!"

"Whatever makes you happy and sleep at night, Inuyasha." Kagome sighed, knowing all to well his motives for wanting to rub the power of Tetsusaiga in his brother's face whilst fighting a foe their father once fought.

* * *

They were just outside the Western lands when they stopped at a village for the night. It was the night of the new moon after all, and they had no choice but to take shelter from the bitter cold. They had no problem acquiring a room this time, and fell asleep easily in two separate rooms. Kagome knowing that she would be training with Rossi and Lady Giya, let her slumber take over as it transported her to the Miko sanctuary and training grounds.

She woke up to find herself in the brightly lit fields with Lady Giya on the opposite side. Kagome walked over to Lady Giya, and bowed to the older priestess.

Wasting no time, Lady Giya ushered Kagome to join her for a walk as she began to explain the things she would teach her today.

"Last time, I taught you how to focus on your ki and to divide it into portions to help you sustain your power for longer periods of time. Today, we will continue with that but focus on making barriers. Last time you erected a barrier to protect your friends and almost killed yourself. This time, you are going to use only a minimal amount of spiritual energy to make that exact same barrier. If you let go of your barrier before I say so, you must run 20 laps around the sanctuary. If you let go of it a second time, you will run 40 laps. You understand?"

Kagome paled at the consequences. She was not much of a runner, and she only hoped she would be able to endure the strength of the barrier so Lady Giya wouldn't find that out.

"First, change out of your clothes and into those training garments." Lady Giya commanded as she dropped the clothes into Kagome's hands before turning around.

Kagome nodded her head, and quickly changed her clothes. When she was done, Lady Giya turned around. "Ok, let's begin."

...

"How much longer...do I have to keep this..barrier up?" Kagome said through strained pants. Beads of sweat rolled down from her forehead. It felt like an hour had passed since she conjured the barrier out of thin air. Her muscles started to quiver, and her energy was dwindling. She had to concentrate and make sure she didn't let go of the barrier before Lady Giya ordered her to do so. It was mentally and physically tiring. Did Lady Giya want her to fail to see her run 20 laps? Was this some kind of cruel joke?

"Until I say so, girl." Lady Giya said plainly. She could sense Kagome's power decrease as time wore on, but this exercise wasn't just to test her limits for one chunk of ki she had set aside, it was to practise her endurance at keeping a barrier up. Lady Giya waited two minutes more until she felt the first portion of Kagome's ki deplete.

"Ok, that's enough." Kagome let the barrier go happily and placed both hands in front of her dropping her head between them. Her breathing was laboured, and she held her stomach from the muscles cramping.

"Breathe in through your nose and out from your mouth, the cramping will subside faster that way." Lady Giya sat down in front of Kagome quietly.

"Raise your head Kagome, you only used your first set of ki. You must not show any sign of weakness." Kagome took one more shaky breath in, and did what she was told. Although her breathing was still noisy, she tried her best to look unaffected. When her breathing became normal, Lady Giya spoke again.

"Now take that second set, and do the same thing. This time make the barrier larger and stronger." Kagome inwardly groaned. She remembered what happened last time when she spoke out in protest, she got a blast of Lady Giya's rage. Her wrist remembered the slash of spiritual energy for whining. Education was not like it was in the modern era.

"Do it quick, or else I will not be as kind as yesterday." Lady Giya warned sharply.

Kagome searched within herself for the second set of ki she had stored away. Her eyebrows furrowed in concentration as she grasped the ki and channelled it into a barrier.

"Larger." Giya commanded.

Kagome pushed the barrier out further, raising her hands in front of her. "Not good enough. Keep going." Kagome could feel her muscles screaming, still not fully recovered from the last exercise. Still, she tried to expand the barrier until Lady Giya finally said, 'good, hold.' Kagome looked back to those times when she would be forced to do wall sits in P.E. class. That was a lot easier than what she was doing now.

"Concentrate, child." Lady Giya could feel her mind wandering, and Kagome snapped back to attention.

Twenty minutes passed by, and the barrier had shrunk by an inch. Lady Giya had zapped Kagome lightly for letting the barrier shrink and Kagome had mustered up the will and energy to put the barrier back where it was.

When she reached 40 minutes, the barrier had shrunk back to the same inch, and Kagome received two slashes to her arm where blood was drawn from the impact. Her barrier dropped back 3 feet in surprise, and before Lady Giya could slash her again, Kagome had the barrier back to its original mark.

After several minutes, Giya noticed that Kagome's ki was almost depleted once again and gave the ok to drop the barrier.

Kagome held her stinging arm and found that blood had started clotting where her hand rested. Their training continued until Kagome was at her last ki reserve. Lady Giya stopped at the third, not wanting to exhaust Kagome to death.

"We are done for now. Go find Rossi and tell her we are finished. She will have some thing for your injuries." Kagome now had a mirrored graze on her other arm for dropping the barrier back 4 feet on the last round.

"Lady Giya, I wanted to ask you before I leave." Kagome started, having remembered the details she had heard earlier that day about the legend of Misotaku. "Do you know of the Priestess Sara and the story of the demon lord in the North?"

Lady Giya took a short breath, surprised by the sudden question. "Yes, I do. Why do you ask?"

"Misotaku has somehow been revived. My friends and I, we're more than likely going to be fighting him tomorrow, along with Naraku." Kagome answered tiredly. Her body was numb, and she couldn't feel her fingers from all the power she had channeled through them to keep the barrier maintained.

"That would be a foolish thing to do in your state." Lady Giya admonished quickly. "You are weak right now and it will take time to recover from this training session. There are still things you need to know before you go into battle with a foe has powerful as a demon lord."

"Then teach it to me now. Lady Giya, I have one more-"

"We will do no such thing. You won't survive another session today. If you are smart, you will not fight tomorrow." Lady Giya finished. "A smart warrior knows when to fight and when not to. If I don't see you tomorrow, I will assume you died and will be thankful I don't have to waste my time with such a foolish girl."

Kagome fell quiet. Before she could speak, Lady Giya ushered her to move and find Rossi. Kagome conceded, and went on her way to find Rossi. When Kagome was out of sight. Lady Giya held her stomach and took a step back. 'So that monster has returned...The one that murdered my entire Northern village all those years ago.'

* * *

 **December 2nd - 8 AM**

He stopped in his tracks. Looking to the North, he could sense a rather large aura entering the Western lands. His subordinates were not too far behind him. A younger girl with a full set of teeth ran up to his side. She was not as young as when he had revived her, although she still sang her silly songs. "Rin." His voice was soft, but loud enough to have attracted her full attention. "Stay here with Jaken and Ah Un. Jaken look after Rin until I get back."

"Of course mi'Lord!" Jaken squabbled. Sesshomaru caught wind of the demonic aura from miles away, it was both foreign and familiar to him. There were only few youkai who possessed such power, and it was a long time ago when powerful youkai dared trespassing into lands without a proper invitation. Whether the youkai would be intelligent to retreat would be the question as Sesshomaru made sure to flare out his own aura in warning to the intruder.

It only took a quarter of an hour to reach the other side of his territory. The border between the Northern and Western lands were divided by a grand mountain pass with fearsome jagged cliff faces towering over and disappearing into the cloudy sky above. He glided over soft, snowy terrain until he found the source of the power. A large purple barrier radiated in front of him. He halted going further, already knowing who had created such a shield in the first place. "Naraku." The inside of the barrier was foggy to an outsider, but there was no mistaking the scent that accompanied the larger aura within.

"Kukuku. A warm welcome from the Western Lord himself?" Naraku had entered through the barrier to give his opponent a better view.

"Always hiding behind your pathetic barriers." Sesshomaru remarked dryly, not impressed with the display on his territory.

"Oh this barrier is not for me. This barrier is quite...special. Why don't your come closer to see for yourself."

"Enough with your games. I will dispatch your repugnant stench from these lands." Sesshomaru engaged his poison claws as he stepped forward, until he felt a strange pulsing beckoning him into the barrier.

"I have someone here that wants to meet you. I believe proper introductions are in order." Naraku teased maliciously.

"Is that the brat of the bastard dog general? I can smell the stench of dog piss all over these lands." Misotaku growled while sneering at the young demon lord in disgust.

Sesshomaru snarled as he recognized the intruder. This was the Northern Demon Lord from long ago. He was a few centuries younger in those days, but he couldn't forget the stench of the traitorous Northern Dragon clan. "I see you have lowered your standards and have required assistance from this pathetic half breed beside you. You should have remained in the after-life, now I will show you what a grave mistake you have made trespassing my lands."

Misotaku roared in laughter. "It is curious that your wretched father fell for a mere human. If he had agreed to help my cause in ridding this world of humans, he would still be alive today. Instead my faithful cousin, Ryukotsusei avenged me as your dear father succumbed to those wounds Ryukotsusei dealt him..and all for the love of a worthless human woman."

"Don't mistake me for my worthless half-brother. Your words mean nothing to me. I do not care for the lives of humans." Sesshomaru said out of emotionless boredom. He allowed himself to linger on the thought of Rin. Too soon after the mere image of her was in his mind, he quickly willed it away and focused on the enemy ahead. "Now prepare to die."

Naraku and Misotaku saw Sesshomaru heading their way with his hand on Tokijin as they had predicted. He was running full speed into their trap.

Misotaku laughed ferociously, awaiting the moment he would sink his fangs into the blood of the heir to the Western Lands. This was the moment he longed for throughout his time in the after-life. A chance at revenge, to continue what he had started all those years ago. He could feel the combined power of his brother in his veins. The end of the human empire was near at last, and it was going to start with the decimation of the dog lord's legacy.

* * *

 **December 2nd - 7 AM**

Kagome had woken up before any of her comrades noticed she was in her deep sleep meditation. Her clothes however were all soaked in sweat from the training that had transpired in her dreams. Much to Miroku's dismay, Sango had chosen to sleep in a shared room with Kagome and Shippo this time, while Inuyasha, Miroku, and Kohaku stayed in another adjacent to the girls.

Kagome quickly searched through her bag for a change of clothes. Kagome then walked over to the screen door, opening it to walk outside in the corridor. Her light footsteps padded along the wooden floors. Her pyjama pants swinging with every step. She was trying heading towards the kitchen when she found a discarded a rather large bowl used for decoration on the floor at a doorway. She looked around quickly, not wanting to get caught taking the bowl. As soon as she picked the bowl up she was quickly walking to a nearby door to the outside. Once outside she froze, and this time not from the cold temperatures. There were a group of villagers poised to enter the door and here she was holding a decorative bowl in her pyjamas. They all looked at one another as they took in the sight of this odd human dressed in garbs with cute cartoon puppies on the fabric.

"Ah! Just out to clean the decor...this thing is so dusty I'm even...AHHHCHOO!" Kagome faked a large sneeze while pushing through the group and holding the bowl at arm's length. "Quite atrocious!"

".." One of the woman gave a questioning look, while others just regarded her as the inn's cleaning help making a scene.

"Such a strange girl," one of them managed to say loud enough for Kagome to hear.

"And look at her clothing..."

Kagome waited until all of them were gone from sight and swiftly dug the bowl into the snow. She had managed to get enough inside the bowl. 'The things I have to do for proper hygiene.' Kagome straightened up and turned back to go inside. Her feet were now burning and numb from the cold snow.

As soon as she was inside, she went back to her shared room with Sango. Sango and Shippo had woken up as well, and were relieved to see the younger girl return from wherever she ran off to.

"Hey Shippo, can you fox fire the snow in this bowl for me?" Kagome asked kindly. Shippo shrug his shoulders not understanding why he had to do this, but knowing Kagome he knew better than to question her antics.

When he simply used his fox fire on the bowl turning the snow into warm, steaming water, Kagome sighed, rejoicing in her resourcefulness. She then walked up to her bag and pulled out soap and a foaming cleanser. Shippo picked up the foaming cleanser, examining the bottle closely. He pushed open the cap and was instantly met with an orange refreshing scent.

"Kagome, this smells great!" Shippo exclaimed while holding up the bottle over his head.

"Yes that's a facial cleanser," Kagome explained softly. "Here, I'll show you how it works."

Shippo watched intently as he let Kagome take the bottle to demonstrate. Kagome went through the motions of cleansing her face. Spreading the foaming cleanser over her face earned her a round of giggles from Sango and Shippo. She leaned over the bowl of water, hands scooping water to rinse her face. Soon Sango and Shippo were both washing their faces and marvelling at how fresh their skin felt after the treatment.

Kagome loved these little moments with her friends trying out her modern products.

"I'm going to show this to the guys," Shippo beamed excitedly. "Especially, Inuyasha!"

Kagome shook her head at his eagerness to do show and tell.

"Kagome, I'll go with him to make sure Inuyasha doesn't go overboard. I understand you probably want to get cleaned up."

"If you don't mind?" Kagome looked up questioningly at the slayer, and smiled when Sango nodded. "Thanks, Sango." Sango and Kirara departed after the kitsune to the next room where the men were located.

After Kagome had cleaned herself up and changed into her black bodysuit top and dark blue faded jeans, she slipped on her black knee high boots. She could hear the commotion over the cleanser going on in the room still. Kagome decided it was time to interrupt the bickering over who's face was cleaner, Inuyasha's or Miroku's. When she walked into the room she was surprised to see Miroku, Inuyasha and Kohaku with faces full of the foam cleanser. She couldn't help but laugh at the them. Sango had rejoined them after taking a step outside, her hands full of snow.

Sango tossed the balls of snow to the men. "What's this for?" Inuyasha caught the snowball with one hand.

"It's to rinse your face from all the suds." Sango answered.

"Keh.." Inuyasha looked over at Miroku who had already started dabbing the snow near his face as the melted snow started dripping down his hand and into the sleeves of his robe.

"When you beauty queens are done, we're going to be eating breakfast down the hall." Kagome teased as she got up to leave with Sango, Shippo and Kirara in tow.

"Oi! Who you calling a beauty queen?" Inuyasha pointed his finger at them. Kagome looked back to giggle at the hanyou. Inuyasha took this moment to wipe the remaining water from his face with his sleeve.

"See you soon, ladies!" Shippo heckled the older men by vigorously waving at them before getting hit by the bottle of cleanser.

"Hey! Why you gotta pick on little guys like me?" He waved the bottle in the air in protest, but then noticed his two female comrades leaving him behind as they turned a corner to go to the kitchens for food. "Hey! Wait for me!"

...

They were all sitting together eating their fish and rice in peace when Kagome felt a familiar sensation run through her veins. She could sense a chunk of the jewel shards nearby. That could only mean that Naraku was close to the area. Soon after Inuyasha picked up the aura of the spider hanyou as well and stood up abruptly.

"Naraku." As soon as the name left his mouth, he was already running out of the hut and into the snowy environment outside. His hair whipped around from the wind, carrying a sparkling spray of snow through his silver locks. His hand was firmly wrapped around the hilt of Tetsusaiga and feet spread apart in his battle stance. He was ready to face Naraku head to head.

It took only a couple more minutes for the group to follow him as they grabbed their weapons from their rooms. Kagome had thrown on her winter jacket, gloves, and backpack, ready to head towards the battle. She could feel the jewel shards, yet she knew that Naraku was still a ways away from where they were located.

Kirara had transformed and soon enough the gang was on their way, tracking down the evil demon called, Naraku. Yet, Kagome could still hear the words of warning that Lady Giya had said before she had met up with Rossi to dress her wounds.

 _'If you are smart, you will not fight tomorrow...A smart warrior knows when to fight and when not to. If I don't see you tomorrow, I will assume you died and will be thankful I don't have to waste my time with such a foolish girl.'_

Kagome bit her lower lip nervously. She was still exhausted from the training she had earlier. Even if she did fight, there would not be any point as she was on her last reserve of ki. She would be able to shoot a few arrows, but if she did anything more than that, she would be a goner. She needed time to recover.

It took them a little over twenty minutes to get close to where Kagome was sensing the jewel shards. They were going to push further to reach their destination when they noticed a hoard of Saimyosho gathered around a figure that was hopping from the tree branches beside them. Miasma completed shrouded the figure, bubbling and smoking over the length of the person. The figure made a long leap, stopping to block the group from going any further, when all of sudden the miasma dissipated enough to show, Naraku.

"It's been a long time," Naraku paused and lifted his scarlet eyes to meet his longtime nemesis. "Inuyasha."

Naraku stood in his usual armour with his green tentacles waving back and forth. He did not erect a barrier to protect himself.

"Naraku!" Sango said through bared teeth.

"I see you have Kohaku in your company." Naraku gestured towards the younger demon slayer. "I assure you that will change soon."

"You will not get your hands on my brother so long as I am still here." Sango roared out ready to use her hiraikotsu on the enemy ahead.

"Ah yes. It was quite an oversight that Kohaku was able to escape my control last time, but make no mistake. I can just as easily tap into his mind and take over at any time. At which point, you'll never know until he's fulfilled my order." Naraku laughed. His sinister sneer addressed all of them with contempt. He hated this lot more than anything. They had always proved to be too resilient, and they just would not give up. It's what made it so infuriating to deal with them, but equally pleasing to torment them all the same.

Sango stood in front of Kohaku protectively. "Kohaku is not so weak to let you back in again. He will stop you, and I will always stand by him to protect him no matter what it takes." Kohaku looked up to his sister, surprised and comforted by her words. When he saw Naraku, he could feel his stomach drop to his feet. Fear had overcome him as he remembered the faces of his loved ones as he cut them down those dreadful two years ago.

"Although you make a compelling speech, it will be futile when Kohaku will be the one to kill every last one of you. I am not worried about killing all of you when I will have him to do it for me."

"Always forcing others to do the dirty work. Why is that not surprising?" Kagome shouted out with sarcasm.

"Fortunately for Kohaku, I am not here for him today. However, I am here to tell you something about your dear brother, Inuyasha." Naraku always loved baiting Inuyasha. His reactions were always amusing to say the least.

"I don't care about that prick," Inuyasha started to argue, but was silently curious to know what Naraku was up to. Naraku quirked an eyebrow. "Well, I just thought to tell you that a battle for your father's land is going on at this very moment, and Lord Sesshomaru is fighting a losing battle."

"Why you-" Inuyasha unsheathed his sword, already fed up with all the talking. "You need to shut up. All you do is open that shit hole for a mouth and talk talk talk. You're boring me to tears." As Inuyasha finished he had already jumped forward, sprinting towards Naraku with his sword raised to cut him down.

Naraku had leapt up into the air before the Tetsusaiga collided with him. "I'm going to kill you and then kill whatever demon Sesshomaru is fighting."Inuyasha swung his sword, hoping to at least catch the spider hanyou in a lethal area.

He followed Naraku as he continued to evade attack after attack. Naraku smirked, his plan was working. None of them had figured out his plan yet, and at this rate the battle between Sesshomaru and Misotaku was going to be uninterrupted. Kagome watched helplessly. She didn't want to waste her energy but if she had to, she would use a little of her ki to shoot an arrow. She focused her attention on Naraku and Inuyasha as they battled each other. Naraku had started using his tentacles to try and cut and spear Inuyasha. Inuyasha dodged and cut down several tentacles that had come his way, although some had cut through the sleeves of his haori to leave open gashes on his right shoulder and bicep.

Sango sprang into action, and launched her boomerang into the tentacles that were poised for Inuyasha's back. She ran to give herself momentum to catch her hiraikotsu, when Kirara sprinted beside her to offer her assistance. Sango caught her weapon and jumped onto Kirara's back. Kohaku was about to join, when Miroku used his staff to stop the boy in his tracks.

"No, you stay here. If you get too close to Naraku he might take hold of you again." Miroku explained. Kohaku was about to protest, but knew the monk was right. He had to be careful not to get in the way.

Kagome gasped, causing Miroku, Shippo, and Kohaku to look away from the fight and towards her. "What is it, Kagome?" Shippo asked worriedly. He moved his face closer to hers to get a better look at her. Naraku had taken notice of the change in Kagome's expression. ' _She figured it out._ ' His eyes narrowed as he sent four tentacles flying her way at lightning speed. Inuyasha tried to get towards her in haste, but Naraku used more tentacles to block his path. Sango hurried towards Kagome and the others. She flung the boomerang in the direction of the tentacles, but realized too late the tentacles coming at her from behind. Naraku used this opportunity to wrap the tentacles around Kirara and Sango, squeezing them to knock them unconscious. Sango struggled against the grip and used her hidden blades within her arm to cut through the assault.

"Lady Kagome!" Miroku exclaimed, he raced towards the tentacles with his staff raised to block his friends from the attack. He had no choice he wouldn't be able to block all of the tentacles. He had to open his wind tunnel. One look to the sky confirmed that the Saimyosho were indeed present in this fight as well. In the knick of time, Sango's boomerang swept through the tentacles, leaving a steamy, wriggling green mess behind. No longer caught in the tentacles, Sango and Kirara flew forward to the others.

"Are you alright?" Sango asked. Kagome smiled and nodded.

"Thanks, Sango!"

"Miroku, this isn't the real Naraku. It's a puppet. The real one is with Sesshomaru in the West." Kagome explained carefully.

"I wish I could finish this one off right now with the wind tunnel." Miroku admitted through his uneven panting. He thought they were going to be goners for sure if Sango hadn't thrown her weapon before getting attacked. As for Inuyasha he was still fighting Naraku head on.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome shouted, cupping her hands around her mouth for amplification. "This Naraku is a fake. The real one is fighting Sesshomaru!"

This only infuriated Inuyasha more.

"Damn you, Naraku. Sending a puppet to distract us away from the real fight!" Inuyasha had stopped following him, ready to take the puppet out with his Wind Scar. "I'll finish this once and for all. WIND SCAR!" Strong winds and electricity erupted from the blade, ripping through the ground and air towards Naraku's body. The attack engulfed his form completely. When the attack was done and the smoke cleared, they saw Naraku's puppet encased in a purple barrier.

Kagome gripped her bow and reached for an arrow. She was hoping she wouldn't have to use her powers until they reached the battle field, but she wasn't given much option if this puppet didn't want to be destroyed so easily. Stringing the arrow into her bow, she lined up the shot and fired the arrow with the little bit of ki she could use. The arrow shot straight and into the barrier, causing the barrier to ripple and shatter from the radiating purification power.

Now that the barrier was no more, Inuyasha followed suit and used the wind scar on the puppet. It was the final blow to the puppet as it disintegrated and left behind a wooden toy slashed in half.

"Keh, damn that Naraku." Inuyasha clenched his fist in frustration. They had been wasting time fighting a fake so that they wouldn't interfere in the real battle.

"We don't have much time. Look!" Sango cut in as she pointed to the sky in the West. There were dark clouds funnelling over top of a large barrier just at the border of the Western Lands. The clouds were flashing with lightning. They could only guess that that was where Sesshomaru was battling the Northern dragon demon. Roars vibrated through the lands and earthquakes shuddered the trees, as winds picked up at dangerous speeds. Pellets of ice started falling from the sky, and the group looked at each other with a serious glance before dashing off into the direction.

* * *

Naraku looked down in his hand to see his puppet slashed in half. He didn't often use these puppets against Inuyasha and his group, but it had served its purpose to delay them from interrupting this battle. And what a battle it has turned out to be. Lord Sesshomaru was panting and bloodied. He had finally met his match in battle, and Naraku was pleased to see how this was playing out. Misotaku looked down at the younger lord with contempt. The Northern lord of course suffered battle wounds. After Sesshomaru had launched his Dragon Strike, Misotaku evaded each strike but miscalculated the last strike of power and was hit on his side. Blood dripped from the wound, but it was nothing he couldn't handle.

Sesshomaru used this time to pause before the next attack. He remembered a past discussion with his father before he went into battle with Misotaku all those years ago. His father had revealed the weapon that was behind Misotaku's powerful attacks. The Katsukane Mirror. A mirror so powerful that it could reflect your attack back at you with 1000 times the force. This demon had sent his own attacks back at him, weakening his body, and tearing through parts of his clothing. The land was scarred with deep scorch marks from his attacks being repelled and sent back. As the ice pellets began to rain down inside the dome of the barrier, the scorch marks started filling with ice and snow. The mountains that surrounded them were no longer visible with all the smoke and snow fall.

"Let's finish this, I grow tired of battling dogs. Once I destroy you, I will find that brother of yours and gut him like a fish." Misotaku growled out in annoyance.

Sesshomaru resumed his battle stance, firmly holding Tokijin in his hand. He had to figure out a way to defeat this demon before this fight drags out much longer. He looked down at Tenseiga briefly. _'If only I had Tetsusaiga. That's the sword father used to defeat this filth._ ' Sesshomaru broke out of his train of thought when he sensed the next attack forming from Misotaku's mirror. He had to destroy that mirror. They have been fighting from a distance and it was time to get closer to his opponent.

Sesshomaru ran like the speed of light towards his enemy before his Dragon Strike attack was aimed at him again from the cursed mirror. At the last second he dodged the attack and then used his Dragon Strike again. This time, he altered the trajectory of each strike. This confused Misotaku as he only felt the shift in demonic energy, but there was no attack to be seen except for the one he just used from the mirror. The mirror's attack had finally ceased after the last strike. Misotaku contemplated the mirror more, maybe it was a fluke that this pup's attack really did fizzle out.

Then it happened. It blasted up from the ground like hellfire underneath Misotaku. The dragon strike hit Misotaku unawares and it was a direct, fatal hit.

Misotaku roared, unable to move as each strike paralyzed him one after the other. He could feel his body on fire. How was this sword able to affect him, a dragon demon? He had to get out of this attack before he died. He was not going to perish before taking down the whelps of his greatest enemy. The mirror started rattling in his hands. It began to absorb the assault, pulling the energy beyond the surface and into its void of power.

Sesshomaru remained stoic as he watched what Misotaku was doing. He had injured him critically, and he wasn't going to let him recover that easily. He went in for the kill, but realized the mirror had begun to pulse. When it finished absorbing the attack, Misotaku took the mirror and placed it against his chest. The mirror dissolved into his armour, and the energy from Sesshomaru's attacks was being used to regenerate his body. It's as if this dragon demon fed on demonic energy. He would not be able to use his Tokijin in this fight.

"I have to hand it to you, you almost had me there." Misotaku taunted. "Hitting me from underground. Now, that's not a move your father taught you."

"I don't care for the sentimentality of your old sparing days with my father." Sesshomaru coldly responded.

"Indeed. Those were the golden years before your father became weak. We were like brothers, your father and I. Even dreamt of becoming the lords of our respective lands, and challenged each other to see it to fruition. There was peace amongst us, we invited each other to parties, fought wars together. I met your mother, and even acknowledged your birth. All of this was before Toga betrayed me and slaughtered my people. He treated them like outsiders ravaging his lands, but they were only sterilizing it of the human filth that inhabited those inferior villages."

"Your father would still be alive, you would have been able to fight him if he had allowed me to vanquish the trash in his lands. I was doing him a favour."

"Your reservations about the past make no difference to me. Your treasonous crimes shall be met with by death." At that moment, a familiar and annoying scent became increasingly apparent. His dim-wit of a half brother decided to interrupt his battle. Sesshomaru watched as his brother and his friends arrived one by one through the barrier.

"Well, look at that. Things just became more interesting. I know that sword anywhere. Looks like your baby brother came to the rescue, Sesshomaru." Misotaku replied, but his eyes zeroed in on the humans that followed suit behind the red-clad hanyou.

"The one thing I hate more than your father is _humans_. I shall rip them apart before your eyes." Misotaku's eyes flared with rage and disgust as he took in the sight of the humans. Their grimaces and observations of his power and the surroundings only proved to aggravate him. The little rodents infesting pure demonic lands.

"Oi! Sesshomaru you look like shit." Inuyasha waved his sword in his brother's direction.

Sesshomaru growled. Of all the people he hated, his half-brother was number one on his list. "Silence your tongue when you address this Sesshomaru, half-breed."

"So you're that Taku bastard everyone is harping about. You look like an overgrown lizard ready to be squashed by my Tetsusaiga." Inuyasha growled out, introducing his famous cocky persona to the enemy.

"Your brother is brazen, Sesshomaru. Shall I give him the same treatment I did you, or gut him right here?" Misotaku quirked an eyebrow curiously.

"I will be the one to kill, Inuyasha."

"Hm, a sibling rivalry...how dull." Misotaku countered. "Although it would be interesting to have you kill your own brother and spare me the hassle, it is highly more entertaining to just kill you both myself and enjoy the look of pain and despair on your wretched faces."

"How the hell did you manage to get so beaten up like that, when all this asshole does is talk?" Inuyasha barked at his brother. Kagome shook her head at his antics when it came to his older brother. He was surely going to end up battling his brother instead of the Northern Demon lord.

Sesshomaru only glowered down at his half-brother. His urge to punch him in the face and shove a sword through his gut was becoming more appeasing as the minutes dragged on. Although he would never admit it, his brother's interruption gave him time to regain his strength for his next attack.

Nearby Naraku watched. He had explicitly told Misotaku not to battle the brothers simultaneously. It appears he would need to intervene himself to make sure that did not happen.

Naraku walked towards the Inu-tachi and stopped just a short distance away.

"On the contrary, Misotaku you will not be fighting Inuyasha at all. It has been some time since I faced off with him." Naraku stared down Inuyasha as he spoke, not taking his eyes off the group in front of him.

"I do not take orders from the likes of you, half-breed." The Northern demon lord bellowed in rage.

"I am beginning to doubt your abilities. If you can't even defeat Sesshomaru, what makes you think you will be able to take both brothers on? Shall I give you a sacred jewel shard to make sure you finish the job?" Naraku chastised.

Naraku's words only managed to infuriate Misotaku more as he gripped the mirror forcefully. "I will kill you all now. KATSUKA-NOHA!" As the last syllable dropped from his tongue, the ground began to shake and a piercing sound raked inside his enemies' ear drums. "Let me show you the true power of the Katsukane, for it will be the last thing you see in this life."

As everyone looked around to observe what indeed was occurring, the ground at the edges of the barrier separated to give entrance to walls of ice coating the insides of the barrier. The outside world was now closed off from their line of sight. It was like being inside a vaulted dance studio. The walls resembled mirrors that reflected everyone's appearance and environment within the inside of the dome. When the shaking and ear splitting sounds had ceased, everyone glanced at each other and behind them at their reflections.

"It's like the description of the Northern palace. A fortress of mirrors." Miroku murmured in awe. "I don't think we will be able to get out of this barrier."

In response, Inuyasha had walked towards the wall in question and raised his sword to hack it away. When he raised the sword away from the spot it hit, there was no scratch or mark to be seen. "What kind of magic is this?"

Misotaku laughed. His eyes were cast down to the mirror in his hands as it too began to shake. Out of the mirror came an object replicating the same mirror being held. Misotaku then raised his mirror towards the sky and the duplicated mirror started floating to the top of the dome. When the mirror had reached the top, it flashed a few times and then did nothing. Sesshomaru contemplated the attack. So far it had not attacked anyone, and only transformed their surroundings. Naraku grimaced. This wasn't how it was supposed to go.

"I can see you are all confused. Let me show you what has happened. Sesshomaru, I shall start with you." Misotaku laughed with sinister intent. He raised his mirror to the spot where Sesshomaru stood. The mirror at the top flashed and repositioned towards the Dog Demon lord. Sesshomaru sensed immediate danger. He had recovered enough to evade attacks, but he wasn't so sure about the barrier behind him let alone the mirrors that threatened to attack him. "Die."

A bright blue light soared between the mirrors and had vanished it seemed, but the hairs on Sesshomaru's neck stood on end having sensed something coming at him from behind. He jumped out of the way and watched as the blue light missed him by a single hair. He landed to the side as the beam of light continued on its path until it hit the other end of the dome and was reflected back again. The beam of light was continuous, like an electrified line. "Again."

As Sesshomaru yet again dodged the attack, another live beam had appeared and remained inside the dome, cutting off another side. "Let's make this more interesting shall we?" Misotaku closed his eyes, when he opened them he had his mirror fixed on the Inu-tachi and Naraku.

"I don't like the look of this." Sango said apprehensively. "Kirara!" Kirara had soared into action, jumping in front of Sango, Kohaku, Shippo and Miroku and allowing them to climb on, getting them out of harms way.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha grabbed the priestess in haste as not one, but four beams of light shot out from the wall behind them. Everyone had dodged the attack, including Naraku, but six continuous and dangerous beams of light were now dividing the dome. Sango, Miroku, Kohaku and Shippo had been separated from Inuyasha and Kagome by two beams of light, while Naraku also had two beams of light separating him from the rest of his opponents. Although, because Naraku was situated closer to the middle, the beam of light had intersected all the other existing beams.

"He's going to keep firing those things at us, unless we stop him." Miroku yelled to his comrades. "If I'm not mistaken, these walls are also mirrors themselves."

"Yea no shit, Miroku." Inuyasha growled out, frustrated by the new developments. "I'll just get rid of all these lines of power." Before anyone could protest, Inuyasha had flung the wind scar attack at the two beams separating himself from his comrades. The attack had indeed hit the beams but instead of breaking the power surge, he had created a new power surge with his attack. It was only until he noticed the look of horror on his friend's faces when he realized his blunder. The wind scar had reach the opposite side of the mirror and was sent back in Inuyasha's direction. Since the wind scar involved more than one streak of attacks, there were three other scars ripping at the ground towards him and Kagome. He jumped to get out of the way and quickly looked around to see where to land. The wind scar was permanently active and running from one side of the mirrored wall to the other, creating deeper scars in the ground.

"Damn it all!" Inuyasha roared.

The assault from the dual mirrors however did not rest, as Misotaku fired more attacks towards his opponents. Naraku by this point had reached out telepathically to his incarnations while dissolving his barrier on the outside.

From the outside, Kanna and Kagura had arrived. Through their connection with their master, they had been informed of the events that were transpiring within the ice dome. Kanna had begun to use her mirror to recreate a Katsukane attack, burning a hole with its beams into the ice formation. It was lucky that they had absorbed that little attack from Misotaku upon their first meeting, or else this would have been a more dire problem.

"What are we supposed to do?" Kagome asked, totally at a loss for strategy. If any of them attacked, their attacks would continue to divide up the space even more, making it impossible to move around properly.

"We need to kill that bastard, that's what." Inuyasha growled, while holding Kagome in his arms. "There is a bit of time between each attack, if we can get close enough to him I can use the Tetsusaiga." Before Inuyasha could react, Sesshomaru had already started making his way towards Misotaku, continually avoiding the attacks aimed at him.

"Damn him, he's always gotta be the first one to the punch," Inuyasha scowled in annoyance. Inuyasha jumped over the beams separating him from the others and set Kagome down with them. Meanwhile Kirara whined from everyone's weight on her back.

"Sorry, Kirara, this is only temporary." Sango reassured her feline companion.

"Hey look!" Shippo pointed trying to get everyone's attention. Miroku was the first to direct his attention to Shippo and where he was pointing. Naraku had somehow created a hole through the wall and was escaping through it. "I'll get him," Miroku said as he unleashed his wind tunnel. Naraku felt the pull of wind from the curse he bestowed on the monk drag him away from the hole. He growled in anger, pulling out a hive of Saimyosho to get sucked into the monk's hand.

"Miroku watch out!" Kagome shouted. When he closed it up, Sango threw her boomerang at the incoming wasps. "He got away, and the hole disappeared." Miroku admonished.

The wasps perished as they were slashed in half by the slayer's weapon. That was when Kagome got an idea.

"Sango!" Kagome exclaimed getting the older girl's attention as she caught her boomerang. "Your weapon doesn't fire in only one direction. You can attack Misotaku head on with it and won't be attacked with your own power in return."

"That's right! Good thinking!" Sango brightened. "Kirara can you get us closer?" Kirara growled softly in response. While Misotaku was preoccupied with the brothers.

Sesshomaru was at his limit for tolerating Inuyasha's involvement because every time Inuyasha let his attacks go on Misotaku, they would miss and hit the wall where he was positioned, creating new lines of surging power. In-between an attack Sesshomaru sprinted towards Inuyasha with his arm raised and fist clenched. "Stay out of my way!"

Inuyasha didn't sense Sesshomaru fast enough when he felt a fist connect with the side of his face, throwing him back closer to the wall. Inuyasha grimaced while propping himself up with his elbows. "You asshole! What do you think you're doing?" Inuyasha accused, raging in anger that his brother had attacked him.

Sesshomaru ignored his squabbles and returned back to the fight. Before Sesshomaru could attack Misotaku, the dragon demon had trained the mirror on Inuyasha and another beam of light erupted from the wall behind him. He wasn't quick in avoiding the attack this time, and it had singed his side. Inuyasha dropped to his knee in pain, holding his injured left side.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome yelled, her heart catching in her throat. "Sango quick! Before Misotaku decides to hit him again." They were within range to attack Misotaku now, and Sango heaved the mighty boomerang with all her might. The boomerang launched forward with a vigorous momentum driving it towards the enemy. Sesshomaru had stopped in his tracks before he could attack Misotaku with the tokijin. Misotaku dodged out of harms way from the boomerang but did not realize that Sesshomaru had crept up and slashed his sword at the demon catching the dragon lord at the chest.

A long slash dug into the Northern lord's chest, as he grunted from pain and shock. Sesshomaru didn't waste any time before driving his sword through the demon's chest, but Misotaku had repositioned his mirror where the sword would have embedded itself. The sword was absorbed into the mirror and sucked out of Sesshomaru's grasp. His sword, gone.

Cackling in triumph, Misotaku revelled in the surprised look on Sesshomaru's face. Sesshomaru's scowl deepened, but he was not without his own powers as he used his poison whip to slash at Misotaku's clawed hand on the mirror. With a mighty roar, Misotaku looked on in disbelief as his hand fell to the ground and with it the mirror. When the mirror hit the ground it did not shatter, but a hairline crack had formed at the top corner.

"You little shit," Misotaku was about to land a fatal blow to Sesshomaru when a loud *BANG* echoed throughout the battle field. The sound vibrated in the demons' ears. Misotaku looked around ablaze, something wasn't right and he felt something warm trickle down his skin.

Everyone looked around to see what was amiss, and their eyes landed on Kagome. She propped herself up on an elbow while still holding up a strange black object in her hand. Kagome slowly got back to her feet to see the aftermath of her shot. Since she couldn't use any of her spiritual powers still, she used the one thing that was quicker than an arrow, her newfound gun. The symbols on the side of the K5 handgun were in a different language, what seemed Korean.

Misotaku followed the direction of everyone's attention to Kagome. ' _What is that weapon?_ ' The pain radiated in his chest, and when he tried to regenerate his body and heal his wounds, he couldn't. Something was definitely not right. As soon as he noticed, fine-line cracks started appearing along the icy walls. As the cracks travelled higher and higher, the integrity of the structure started to shake in protest.

To everyone, they were amazed to see the mirror that Misotaku held, was now in pieces. The impermeable glass that created hours of grief for the group was now displaced amongst a pool of blood at the feet of Sesshomaru and Misotaku. Left in the wooden underside of the mirror was a hole the size of a grape. Misotaku dropped to his knees, the broken mirror clattering to the ground. Sesshomaru sensed imminent danger as the structure of the dome was falling apart. He quickly jumped back and ran full speed at the severely damaged wall with his poison whip at the ready. It was time to go. In his escape, a giant sheet of ice fell from the top of the barrier and crushed the fallen Misotaku. The others still shocked from the gunshot took this as their sign to vacate as well. The loud bang of falling ice starting to fill the ears and scene of the battle field. Sesshomaru had created a hole where a series of fissure lines in the ice had formed. He blasted through the space in the wall, escaping to safety. As seconds passed, the crashing of ice became increasingly audible. Inuyasha was on the side of the dome dodging falling sheets of ice on his way back to the group.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome yelled about to move forward when Miroku quickly pulled her back to safety as a medium sized sheet of ice crashed in front of them.

"Quick! We must escape through that hole Sesshomaru made!" Miroku advised fearfully.

"I'm not leaving him behind!" Kagome protested against Miroku's vice grip.

"Kagome, we must go or we will all be dead under this ice." Sango reasoned while climbing onto Kirara's back. Kagome looked around her, and understood what they meant. It was now or never. Kagome allowed Miroku to pull her to Kirara. They all climbed on and bounded towards to the opening that Sesshomaru escaped through. They made it through, and waited for Inuyasha to materialize through the hole.

"Come on, Inuyasha.." Kagome clasped her hands together and held them to her mouth, anxiously awaiting the man in red. Her eyes desperately searching for him.

As the remnants of the structure finally buckled, Kagome's heart burst in anguish. "INUYASHA!"

* * *

 **Coming Soon - Chapter 10: Cataclysm**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10: Cataclysm**

 _I don't wanna know_

 _Who we are_

 _Without each other_

 _It's just too hard_

 _I don't wanna leave_

 _Here without you_

 _The Other Side - Ruelle_

* * *

 **December 2nd - 5 P.M.**

The sun had gone down, and the light from the moon lit up the snow surrounding them. The destruction lay heavily in front of them. Their faces reflected by the icy, jagged pieces that protruded in every direction. Kagome's hands shook, it was taking every ounce of her to stand when everything inside of her was breaking. "We can't leave him in there!" Kagome placed two hands on the surface of the destroyed barrier and tried to move it with no luck. Sango, Kohaku and Miroku came up behind her to help her budge the large piece. The large piece groaned against the heavy snow underneath as they heaved it to the side revealing even more smaller pieces wedged together.

"Come on, we can't stop." Kagome scrambled forward, using her strength to push the smaller pieces aside. Kirara trotted beside Kagome and began digging the ground, loosening the blocks of ice from the bottom.

"Move aside," a cool collected voice commanded behind them. Everyone turned their heads knowing exactly who that voice belonged to, and it was none other than Sesshomaru.

It took a few moments for Kagome to realize what Sesshomaru was intending to do. He watched her, one eyebrow raised wondering if she was going to move or if he would have to force his way through. Kagome collected herself and moved back where the others had retreated.

"I thought you left," Kagome managed to say. "I didn't think you would come to help us."

"I care not for you, I am here to retrieve Tokijin."

"I did save your life you know." Kagome bit out harshly. "I guess that means you owe me one." She eyed him cautiously.

"And I said _move aside!_ " Sesshomaru snapped at her, meanwhile a strong gust of wind circled around him picking up the snow in the process. Sesshomaru's eyes turned a rich crimson with slits for pupils.

Kagome 'eep'ed and quickly escaped back to where her friends had retreated. They looked on as Sesshomaru changed into his gigantic beast form. At the end of his transformation, the snow and wind had cleared and he began to move numerous chunks of ice away with his oversized paws. Although he still only had three paws, he was able to use his head and front paw to shift the larger blocks away. His hind legs kicked away taller pieces, diminishing the fallen structure to its bare bones.

In little to no time he had cleared away much of the destruction, and through the wreckage a glimpse of red was recognizable. Sesshomaru turned his head to look back to the humans, signalling that they could come forward. Everyone rushed at a sprint towards him. Climbing over discarded rubble, the sight of Inuyasha came into view. Kagome slid to her knees beside Inuyasha's broken body, the flickering of Tetsusaiga's barrier was the only protection he had from the two pieces threatening to crush him. Sesshomaru easily knocked down the rest of the debris that lodged itself between two other blocks.

Tetsusaiga's barrier gave one last hoorah sensing no more imminent danger to its master. Inuyasha lay unconscious on his side, his breathing haggard. Kagome touched his head gently, curling her fingers in his clawed hand that rested near his head. "We found you," she whispered tenderly. Before she could look up to the demon lord to thank him for his assistance, he had already moved to the other side of the rubble where she could only assume he sensed his sword.

Kagome trained her eyes back to Inuyasha. His eyes were closed and lips were drawn into a frown. Her line of sight travelled down to the scorch marks on his side where burnt, raw flesh was slowly knitting itself back together. "We can put him on Kirara until we get back to the village," Sango offered.

Kagome let Sango's words process before she nodded her head. "Just let me dress the wound first," Kagome murmured.

As Kagome moved away pieces of Inuyasha's robe, she grabbed her first aid kit. The bandages were neatly folded inside on top of the ointments. Kagome carefully pushed the bandages aside and grabbed the ointments. Loosening the cap off the tube of burn relief ointment, she applied a pea size amount to her fingertips. When her fingers came into contact with Inuyasha's wound, a warmth radiated from her touch. Kagome quickly retracted her hand away from the wound, but was surprised to see that the inflammation had gone down substantially.

Curiosity took hold as she looked from her fingers to the wound. Slowly, she tried applying the ointment again and the same warm feeling radiated out from her hand. She moved her hand further along the wound and she noticed the skin repairing itself sevenfold. Her eyes widened in shock. She was healing him on the spot. It only took a few moments and his wound had completely healed as if nothing had ever happened, but only the singed edges of his clothing revealed that he had been injured. It seemed her spiritual powers had restored to their original strength.

"Kagome did you just-" Sango asked in wonderment. Everyone took notice of

"Yeah...I think I did." Kagome replied with equal astonishment, as she looked up at her demon slayer friend.

After Kagome finished dressing Inuyasha's wounds, Miroku and Kohaku began lifting him up to put him on Kirara's back when the ground started to rumble. Everyone looked to each other and then to the ground. Snow was shifting back and forth and rubble that was stacked had slipped off and tumbled to the ground.

A fearsome growl ripped through Sesshomaru's throat. His head lowered and his hackles raised towards the pile of ice in front of him. A pulsing rhythm beat underneath the destruction. Then all went deadly silent as the pulsing ceased.

"What just happened?" Shippo questioned worriedly. Kagome motioned towards Shippo, ushering him into her arms as she slowly rose to her feet. Miroku and Kohaku had just finished positioning Inuyasha onto Kirara's back when Sango suddenly started into action. "We need to get back, get further away. Misotaku isn't dead. Kohaku you remember what father taught us about demon transformations." Kohaku nodded affirmatively.

"After the last pulse, we have but a few minutes to prepare." Kohaku confirmed. Kagome looked hastily back to the pile of rubble where she thought they had vanquished Misotaku.

"We must hurry then, we might only have seconds left." Miroku stated.

Kagome looked to Shippo thoughtfully. "Shippo, do you think you might be able to protect Inuyasha?" Shippo looked up at Kagome with big eyes, but a determined resolve replaced them and he went to stand by Inuyasha. "Inuyasha will wake soon," Kagome revealed to the group.

The group had moved further away from the battlefield, awaiting the next phase of the fight. Kagome had her bow and arrow in hand, Sango with her hiraikotsu raised, Miroku gripped his staff tightly, and Kohaku's scythe and chain at the ready. Sesshomaru did not retreat from his spot, keeping close to the mountainous pile where Misotaku lay.

A beam of blue light shot upwards to the night sky. Electricity from Misotaku's power spiralled into the beam. Ice blocks flew outwards and what was left in their wake was a monstrous dragon, armoured in glass. The dragon's neck craned up and a harrowing screech echoed across the land. The newly transformed Misotaku stretched his sharp pointed wings and then whipped his large head around to his opponents, and then fixated his gaze not at Sesshomaru, but at Kagome. The tiny human woman who nearly ended his life.

Kagome's heart hammered in her chest. She never expected this to happen. Even with her regenerated powers she wasn't prepared for this fight. She was only really prepared for the final fight with Naraku. This was something entirely different, something that she was frightened about, and now she was yet another target for yet another enemy.

* * *

They had finished running a hundred kilometres to get to the Western Lands. Adamara and Koutsu panted, their legs and sides sore from trying to keep up with their leader, Kouga. They had almost reached their destination when Kouga decided to stop and brief his comrades on the plan.

Adamara and Koutsu leaned against a large tree as they watched their leader looking at them. Adamara looked to Koutsu and he looked to her, before Kouga could open his mouth a tremble shook the earth where they stood, and shortly after they too saw a great beacon of light soar into the sky.

"What the hell?" Kouga peered through the space between the trees to catch a better glimpse of the light show.

"Lord Kouga, what is it?" Koutsu asked.

"I don't know, but it doesn't look good." Kouga admonished, his jaw clenched apprehensively.

"Shall we check it out?" Adamara asked, unsure of what look had just crossed the Prince's face.

"No. We need to carry on with our mission," Kouga confirmed. "Whatever is going on over there is the Western Lord's problem." With that said, Kouga turned away from the ominous power kilometres down the valley, he couldn't pin his finger on it but for some reason he felt a strange tug in his gut.

"We need to pass through these mountains and find the Western tribe ambassador. We need to do this and lead an army of soldiers with us back to the East. I sent Ginta and Hakkaku to meet with both North and South tribes to confer with the ambassadors there and to gather anyone who will back our cause. You both will take the Western tribe soldiers to the South and meet up with the soldiers that Ginta is leading. Once we have discussed things with Rui here, I will make my leave to the North to aid Hakkaku. Try and keep the troops moving to the East, we have until the full moon."

"Understood," Adamara nodded her understanding of the plan.

"There's just one other thing. Why did you come with us to the West, if you needed to be in the North?" Koutsu asked with slight confusion.

"The Western tribe are not the most willing contributors. For the most part they keep to their own unless there is an incentive in it for them." Kouga

"So what incentive are we giving them?"

"To be free from tyranny." Kouga said simply. "That's enough for a break. Let's go." As he took up the lead in the run towards the Western tribe, he could hear the shriek of a monster awakening in the valley. "When I leave for the North, make sure you keep the troops away from whatever the hell that is over there."

"Agreed," Adamara hastily agreed, not liking the sound that came from the valley below.

...

When they arrived at to the front gates of the Western tribes territory, the three Eastern wolf demons had to tread carefully along the mountain ridge to reach the hidden entrance only wolf demons know about. With skillful climbing and jumping they slunk through tight crevices that wound its way deeper inside the mountain. After the last few turns in the path, they came across two footmen guarding the cave entrance. Beyond the cave the smell of dinner and smoke from a fire pit had wafted to their nostrils.

"Prince Kouga! We weren't expecting you. Would you like an audience with our chief?" The footman asked. He had short spiky black hair and green eyes, his armour was similar to the Eastern tribes except they had longer pelts that went down to their knees. Not wanting to waste Kouga's time, the footmen made an opening for the three Eastern wolves to pass through.

"Yes, and with Rui also." Kouga added.

"Seisu, I am going to inform Rui of Prince Kouga's arrival, please see to it that you lead our guests to the main den." The shorter footman named, Seisu nodded and began leading the way while his comrade went to find their leader.

Kouga, Adamara, and Koutsu followed silently into the Western tribe's home. As they walked in they could see lively lights dancing on the walls from the grand fire that nestled in the centre of the main den. Around the fire were burly wolf demons enjoying their share of wild boar. Their fangs ripping and tearing into the flesh of the beast hungrily. Bones had been haphazardly discarded into a growing pile to the side.

Seisu offered them each a sizeable piece of meat to eat for they had travelled all this way and were their humble guests. Kouga and his comrades quickly downed their food gratefully as some members of the Western tribe came up to greet them eagerly. Out of all the tribes the West and South were his favourite neighbouring tribes to keep in touch with, the North were ironically colder in their dealings with other tribes.

It wasn't too long until, Rui, a short and bulkier wolf demon had approached Kouga in a strong armed embrace. He playfully slapped Kouga on the arm demonstrating their good natured friendship.

"Ah Kouga! Good to see you. I was wondering when we were gonna see that mug of yours around here," Rui grinned a few dimples sporting his cheeks. "What brings you to us tonight?"

"Good to see you, Rui. I'd be visiting more if I could, but you know how it is these days." Kouga shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. "I'm here on matters of business, it's rather urgent. If you don't mind I'd like to speak to both you and Dante about it."

"Hm, this isn't another attempt to find a suitor for Ayame, where you relinquish your promise to her?" Rui smirked and tried baiting Kouga for good measure. Rui's smirk slowly fell away into a frown as he noticed Kouga wasn't in a joking mood.

"Urgent you say? Let's go find Dante." Rui patted Kouga's shoulder before moving forward to lead Kouga away from his comrades and into the chieftains quarters.

The walk to the chieftain's quarters was similar to his own caves back in the Eastern mountains. Cold stone encased the corridors and every few feet there would be scones ablaze on the walls illuminating the way. Rui asked Kouga to wait as soon as they approached a stone door that was pulled away to a larger room inside that had been decorated with clean fur carpets and fine furnishings. Not a second later Rui had ushered Kouga into the room.

"Come in Kouga, we won't have you waiting outside the door now." A deeper voice acknowledged the younger wolf leader's presence outside his quarters.

The baritone voice belonged to Dante, who sat in a wooden decorative chair in the middle of the room with a scroll in his hand. He looked just as he always did. Clad in armour with long, beautiful bear pelts hanging down his back. The pelts were fashioned into a cape as the arms of the bearskin draped over Dante's shoulders and fastened under shoulder pads. "Now I know you didn't come all this way to drink sake and talk about the good ole days, Kouga. So tell me, what can we do for you."

As Kouga explained his situation with the Elders, he knew the troubling look on both Dante and Rui's faces as the lines in their foreheads creased. Rui rubbed the hair on his chin contemplatively, while Dante listened in silence while fiddling with a fox skull that was on the table. Every so often he would stop and look up at Kouga when parts of his story surprised him. When silence had taken over, Dante had cleared his throat and leaned forward in his chair. The skull was back on the table and his clawed hands were clasped together.

"Well Kouga, that's quite the problem you have. I don't see any reason for my people to get involved in that. We already have enough problems with the Elders as is.." Kouga remained firm in his resolve and waited for Dante to finish. "I can understand why you would ask for our help, after all, we are cousins."

"What I don't understand is why a human? You know our way, so why get caught up in the business of those annoying creatures?"

"It's complicated, she's not like the humans you and I have encountered." Kouga tried to reason as he saw Dante squint his eyes in confusion.

"All humans are the same, cousin." Dante rubbed his eyes tiredly, already knowing where this conversation was leading. He knew out of all the cousins, Kouga had the most stubborn personality and once he was set on something there was no changing his mind.

"Not this one." Kouga argued sharply. "Kagome is a priestess, she's kind, loving, fierce, protective...beautiful." Rui and Dante looked to one another as Kouga described Kagome's personality and mere essence as an extraordinary example of her species.

"A priestess powerful enough to evade the Elders and piss them off no less, I would have killed to see that." Rui chuckled deeply.

"Dante, all I'm asking is for you to join me and my tribe in a solid fight against the Elders. If we can get the numbers to stand against them, we will be changing the very history of our people. Don't you want to be free of the tyranny that they impose on us?"

Dante was silent for a few minutes until he looked at Kouga very cautiously. "How many tribes do you have backing you at this very moment?"

Kouga didn't need to blink as he answered assertively, "I have Ginta in the South consulting with them as we speak, and Hakkaku in the North. I have my entire tribe's blessing and support in this."

"I know you, Dante. You refuse for the safety of your tribe, but let me ask you this. How is it going to feel when everyone fights but your tribe? How is that going to look to our brothers in the South?" Dante breathed heavily through his nostrils, not liking the idea of being the cowardly tribe. Kouga sensed his turmoil and took this as his queue to continue, "You said you would have killed to see Kagome stand up to the Elders. Don't miss out on it this time. Join my cause cousin, and you won't regret it. I swear on my tribe. You do this, and we will be free to rule our lands without the sovereignty of the Elders."

"You drive a compelling argument, Kouga." Dante's hand gripped the end of the armrest as pushed himself off the chair to walk towards Kouga.

"I have one condition however," Dante paused considering his words. "I will join your cause when I get word of the Southern Ambassador and Chieftan's approval. Until then it's a no for me." Kouga was about to protest, but he bit his tongue. If he pressed any further, Dante would change his mind. His cousin was a fickle demon with a short temper when pressed. Dante held out his hand as he waited for Kouga to agree to the terms.

"Fair enough," Kouga gripped Dante's arm as Dante's fingers wrapped around Kouga's forearm in agreement. Azure eyes meeting evergreen orbs in their pact to usurp the Elders.

"Since we might be going to war over a mortal, tell me more about this priestess that's got you so worked up," Rui smirked, expecting Kouga's face to turn red from embarrassment any moment now.

...

Kouga conferred with his comrades about the discussion and now they would have to wait for Ginta's work to be done in the South. The reason Kouga chose Ginta for the mission was because he had direct relatives in the South, and a demoness that he fancied. It would be no chore to get the South to back their cause.

Kouga retired to the honorary guest chambers with Koutsu and Adamara. It took little to no time for both wolf demons to fall asleep, but Kouga lay awake with the same gnawing feeling in his gut that he had from earlier. He quietly got to his feet and left the room to get some fresh air. Climbing up the face of the mountain to the peak, he found the snow made it slippery this time around. When he reached the top he sat down on the cliff edge where he could see further into the distance. Dark clouds hid the moon tonight, but something just did not sit well with him when he saw that great beam of energy shoot into the sky.

' _What kind of demon could produce so much power?_ ' He thought worriedly. Before he could contemplate further, he noticed three wolves running up the hidden mountain path, their fur a light tan colour. They were from the Southern tribe most definitely. They had sent their fastest wolves to deliver a message to the Western tribe. When Kouga jumped back down to see what the wolves had to say, Dante had already received the message loud and clear. The wolves howl war cries loud enough for everyone to hear. Soon wolf demon soldiers came out of their dwellings and listened to the wolves. Dante walked away to return later with large pieces of meat for the wolves to devour.

"Looks like you get your war, Kouga," A small smile formed on Dante's lips.

Kouga noticed Koutsu and Adamara had joined the commotion in the main den. Their eyes met and they gave a nod, confirming they knew what they had to do next. They will all be leaving tonight in separate directions, his comrades leading the convoy of soldiers to the East, and Kouga to the North.

"Now it's time for me to leave. Thank you, Dante." The cousins held out their hands in farewell. Kouga turned around to jog out of the Western wolf caves. He had to catch up with Hakkaku in the North.

"Oh don't thank me yet, you still have to persuade the Northern tribe. My advice: tread very lightly." Dante looked at his soldiers in the den. "In formation! Enough of this ruckus! If you are chosen to fight in this battle, tonight you will follow our brother and sister from the Eastern tribe to start your journey to their lands. We'll make this quick so you can say your farewells to your loved ones."

Rui made his entrance, he had thicker furs on with heavier armour. He had started out calling 10 soldiers to the front and slowly began adding more to the group that would leave tonight. "If your name wasn't called, you will return to your den," Rui watched as the men who weren't called dispersed back into the caves.

The men that were called had formed their own formation. These were some of the strongest warriors they had, and they would aid Kouga well in this fight. Rui began to walk the line of the soldiers.

"You will be under my charge during this battle. Lord Dante has agreed to aid our brothers to the East in a battle against the Elders. Too many times we have been pushed around and taken for granted by the Elders. It's time we stop this tyranny, and show them that we are the Western Wolf Tribe and we don't take orders from them. We are joining our brothers in the East to help in this just cause to bring down the sovereignty of the Elders and to free us from their grasp. You will have time to say farewell to your family. We leave when you hear the wolves howling our war song."

...

Kouga was heading through the mountain pass to the North when the distant roars and thundering of a battle had caught his attention. He didn't know why he was being drawn to it like a magnet. He could spare only a few minutes to spy on the battle scene before he had to keep going to the North. His legs propelled him up into the air, making broad leaps to cross large gaps to the rugged cliffs leading to the valley below. As he made his way through he caught a glimpse of a monster flying higher into the sky.

It was a dragon demon, and a large one. His eyes widened at the size of this beast. The dragon had opened its mouth where a large amount of power was being drawn to make an attack. The blue, almost white ball of power had illuminated the peaks of the mountains as it hurtled towards the targets on the ground.

Like a cat, curiosity took over the wolf demon. Then it hit him like a flash of lightning. His froze in his steps. He remembered that Sesshomaru was Inuyasha's older brother, but what are the chances that Inuyasha is there as well? ' _And wherever Inuyasha goes, Kagome..._ 'His eyes were wild, furious that Kagome would be in such a dangerous situation.

His steps were no longer cautious, they were fully tearing up the ground as he sprinted to his beloved priestess. When he got closer to the battle, the scent of blood was in the air. The only scent he was interested in was Kagome's, and his nose confirmed that she was indeed there battling this ferocious demon.

He cleared the corner around the valley, and his heart racing. His eyes absorbed the scene, and he was completely taken back by the sound and sheer size of the explosion. Kouga shielded his eyes from the blinding light.

* * *

Kagome felt the burning hate in Misotaku's reptilian eyes. She knew he hated humans, but now he hated them even more because of what she did in the most dire moment of her life. She had thought she killed him before when the mirror shattered from the bullet that ripped into his body. It was like a blur now, she just shot the gun and fell back from the volume of the gun's attack. It didn't matter now how the event happened, because here he was in front of her ready to blow her up into smithereens.

"I will admit, I was shocked that a mere human almost killed me. It would have been a wretched way to die, but that's when I felt your power. A power I had forgotten about long ago. Tell me _priestess_ , did you think that attack would actually kill me?"

Kagome shuddered inside at the sheer magnitude of his voice. It boomed and she was almost sure the entire country of Japan could hear him. The one thing that stood out for her was that she had infused her priestess powers in the bullet when she pulled the trigger.

"I can feel your fear all the way from here," Misotaku chuckled darkly. "I will make your death nice and slow, so your friends here will watch on helplessly as I tear you apart."

"Like hell you will! You won't be getting anywhere near Kagome!" Inuyasha had done a flip in the air and landed in front of Kagome with his Tetsusaiga ready for action.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome exclaimed with surprise. He had fully recovered and was back to his usual stubborn self.

"You ok, Kagome?" Inuyasha looked to his side briefly waiting for her to respond. Kagome smiled brightly and nodded. "Hai! I'm so glad you're ok!"

"Dammit! I missed a lot didn't I?" Inuyasha said softly.

"Not really...well, I thought my shot killed him and then his ice dome fell apart on us." Kagome admitted.

"Ah the half demon returns. I thought you were dead," Misotaku cackled. "An oversight I will rectify."

"I can't wait to chop your head off so you will finally stop yapping," Inuyasha ran at full speed towards Misotaku. Misotaku welcomed the oncoming attack. His dark chuckles vibrated, shaking his head in the process. Sesshomaru joined in on the fight his large dog form attacking Misotaku. Their bodies collided with a resounding clash each time they landed a blow to the other. The others waited for the opportunity to join in, but the power of the demons was too dangerous to get close to.

Kagome watched with worry, they had fought against dragons before, but this opponent was something else. Her powers were back to normal, and she could feel a burning within her. Her spiritual powers could sense the large demonic power that exuded from this beast. It took a few moments for her to steady herself so that her powers didn't start getting out of control. Inuyasha landed attacks on the dragon, but the hide of the dragon was stronger than the effects of the Wind Scar. It was time for her to send an arrow towards the abomination.

Her hand reached behind her head where her arrows were placed, her right hand gripping her bow tightly.

She felt the motions of stringing her bow, as if it was as involuntary as the breath coming out of her lips. Her breath hitched as she focused on Misotaku and Inuyasha's movements. She concentrated on the ugly sneer of Misotaku's scaly snout snapping at the half demon, trying to catch him in mid air. That's when she saw it.

The hollowed hole in the dragon's chest. It had healed, but left a distinguishable scar. If she could somehow hit him there, she would deal another lethal blow surely.

Kagome trained her arrow to aim at the moving target. She waited until Inuyasha was out of the way, and the bow string vibrated as she let go with the long-awaited spiritual power she possessed.

Her arrow, brighter and larger than her usual attacks, cut through the cold air with a blazing pink fire absorbing the entirety of the weapon. Misotaku too slow to react was caught surprised as the arrow pierced into the former wound.

Inuyasha took this opportunity to aim his attack in the exact spot Kagome hit, using instead the adamant barrage to effect more damage.

Misotaku roared, shaking the earth and mountains surrounding the battlefield. His body was on fire, deep red cracks split from his wound spilling his aura and blood down the hardened reptilian belly. The shards of the adamant barrage exploded with power, until a bright white light encased Misotaku and reacted with an immeasurable _BOOM_. Both spiritual and demonic powers created the cataclysm of power surges that resulted in a bomb-like attack.

Inuyasha had jumped away to safety as the power surges racked Misotaku's form. It was a combination they had never experienced before, and Inuyasha looked back at Kagome to comprehend that they just created this attack with their weapons. What exactly did she do?

The power died down and nothing had been left but a charred black spot scarring the snow where Misotaku last stood.

"Is it over?" Kohaku questioned, voicing everyone's thoughts at the same time.

Sesshomaru transformed back into his humanoid form and turned to walk away from the scene. His hair swayed in the snowy wind, when he felt something drift to his nose. This time he couldn't understand where it was emanating from, it was another scent altogether. A small white orb appeared, hovering in the air before it flew in a bee line towards Kagome. Kagome's eyes widened, her body frozen in fright. She had no time to dodge or react, and the others were too far away. The orb was upon her but before it made contact it disintegrated and left a glowing form in its wake. A man dressed in a light blue haori and white hakamas walked towards her, he placed a pale clawed hand on her shoulder.

"Thank you, young one." Kagome stood shell shocked. This man standing in front of her was not Misotaku, but another dragon demon with softer features. His face was fuller, a younger version of Misotaku it would seem.

"My name is Lord Katsu. I am the younger brother of Miso, you know him as Misotaku." Katsu let his voice grow still as he let the priestess and her comrades process the information. "I am grateful to you, for ending the misery and hatred my older brother ensued on the people of this world, and for freeing me from the confines of his body. My soul may now rest and join my beloved in the afterlife."

Kagome nodded shyly, not knowing what to say only starring up at the demon dumbly. "You were really trapped within Misotaku this whole time?"

"Unfortunately so. It is my deepest regret that I could not prevent Miso from going down this dark path after my demise. He let his grief kill his soul, and forced me to watch as his evil slowly consumed the good in him and using my own mirror nonetheless." Katsu sighed, but took the time to get a good look at the small human woman in front of him. He chuckled softly, "You do remind me of her. My Sara. I could feel that familiar spiritual power in the arrow you shot at Miso."

Kagome smiled in response. "You shouldn't keep her waiting much longer. I'm sure she can't wait to have you by her side."

Katsu beamed at that thought of Sara waiting for him. "I believe you're right. I can hear her calling now. I will take my leave of this world, and thank you again kind priestess. Sara will be overjoyed to hear of you and your group of friends. I don't think there has ever been a group of humans and demons travelling together. It will put a smile on her face I'm sure," Katsu scanned the rest of the group as he said all this. His eyes landing on Inuyasha and then Sesshomaru.

"Say hello to her for us." Kagome replied. Katsu nodded as he started to disappear back into the bright orb. Before shooting off into the night sky, the orb hovered in front of Sesshomaru briefly and left without another moment's notice.

While everyone was staring up into the night sky, Sesshomaru left without any acknowledgment to the others. He had left Rin, Jaken, and Ah Un for too long and needed to get back to them. He didn't need to 'escort' Inuyasha and his friends off of his lands, most of the humans were wet and cold from the prolonged exposure outside and there weren't any villages nearby for them to escape to, they would be leaving the way they arrived soon enough.

It was quite a surprise to him after seeing Katsu show up so unexpectedly. He replayed the demon lord's words in his head before he joined the afterlife. "It's good to see you again, old friend. The title of Lord of the Western Lands suits you well, as does your sword Tokijin." Without another word Tokijin had appeared and fell into the soft snowy earth, leaving an imprint where it now lay. The words drifted on the wind, an apology from the demon for wrecking havoc on his lands. Sesshomaru paid no mind to Katsu leaving as he retrieved his sword with care from the snow and left as if nothing transpired between the two demons. His father's warning about the Katsukane mirror, now a distant memory no longer a threat to him or his lands.

Yet the one thing that struck his thoughts was the weapon that priestess, Kagome used on Misotaku. The one that saved his life, although he wouldn't admit it to anyone, had the power to take down that powerful a demon. It peaked his curiosity to say the least. He would make sure to get the truth about the weapon out of the girl sooner rather than later. It was no secret that her powers had grown as well. He could only think of one priestess that had as much power packed into an attack like that. _Midoriko_. It wasn't a good memory that resurfaced.

'T _he person behind Inuyasha's existence...and father's death_ '

* * *

 **Next Up - Chapter 11: Something About December**


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